Anesthesia, cardiopulmonary bypass, and the pregnant patient

For the perioperative management of pregnant patients with severe cardiac or aortic disease who require a cardiac surgical procedure and cardiopulmonary bypass, a close, cohesive, working relationship must exist among several medical and surgical specialties. For appropriate management, the well-being of both the mother and the fetus must be considered. The best interests of the mother and the fetus may not coincide, and optimal therapy for one may be inappropriate for the other. We present 10 cases of severe cardiac or aortic disease in pregnant women who required surgical intervention. Eight patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass during pregnancy, and two patients had cesarean section performed immediately before cardiopulmonary bypass. We also discuss the pertinent pharmacologic aspects related to the perioperative period and the management of cardiopulmonary bypass for the pregnant patient.