[Anaesthesia and recovery in a case of placenta percreta]

Placenta percreta is a sub-type of placenta accreta in which this organ invades the whole uterine wall and affects the adjacent organs. It is a condition with a high surgical risk which generally requires an obstetric hysterectomy. We present the case of a 36 year-old pregnant woman diagnosed with placenta percreta with bladder and intestinal invasion. She suffered a hypovolaemic shock during surgery which required a massive transfusion of blood products and inotropic support. Three further successive surgeries were required due to the bleeding, with selective embolisation of the hypogastric arteries being performed in one of them. She required 13 days in intensive care. The total volume of blood products transfused was, 43 units of red cells, 28 units of plasma, and 8 platelet pools. The importance of early prenatal diagnosis is emphasised in order to adequately plan the operation, and should include a multidisciplinary team (general surgeons, urologists, vascular surgeons), as well as experienced anaesthesiologists and obstetricians.