Safe spinal anesthesia in a woman with chronic renal failure and placenta previa

Chronic renal failure is strongly associated with poor pregnancy outcome. Women dependent on hemodialysis before conception rarely achieve a successful live birth.

A 31-year-old multiparous Turkish woman was scheduled for cesarean section under spinal anesthesia at 37 weeks and five days' gestation because of hemorrhage due to secondary placenta previa. Spinal anesthesia with 8 mg of hyperbaric bupivacaine was successfully performed. Invasive blood pressure, central venous pressure, and heart rate were stable during the surgery. The mother returned to regular hemodialysis on the first postoperative day.

Pregnancy is uncommon in women with chronic renal failure requiring chronic dialysis. Rates of maternal hypertension, pre-eclampsia, anemia, and infection in the pregnant chronic dialysis patient are high. However, our findings suggest that with careful, close, and effective monitoring preoperatively and intraoperatively, spinal anesthesia can be safely performed for cesarean section in patients undergoing hemodialysis.