This page gives you information about third and fourth degree tears following childbirth.
In the United Kingdom it is estimated that over 90 in 100 women who have a vaginal delivery will experience some degree of perineal damage. The perineum is the area between the vagina and anus.
Perineal tears are graded in severity from a first degree tear (a very minor tear) to a fourth degree tear (a major tear). The majority of women with a first or second degree tear can have it repaired by a midwife or doctor in most birth settings. Tears that are more complex need to be repaired by an experienced doctor on the Delivery Suite at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.