When is a side incision necessary? Will it hurt? How can I communicate with the doctor if I don’t want to have a side resection? Hear what senior midwives have to say about lateral incisions and your biggest concerns. 1. What is a side incision? A lateral incision is actually short for episiotomy. It means that when the fetal head is about to come out of the vagina during delivery, local anesthesia is performed near the perineum, and then special side scissors are used to cut the perineum to widen the birth canal to facilitate the delivery of the fetus. The location of the lateral incision is usually at the vaginal opening