Management of pregnant patients undergoing general surgical procedures

Melissa K Stewart1, Kyla P Terhune1

  • 1Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.

Pregnant patients have a 0.2% to 0.75% chance of developing a medical condition that requires a general surgical intervention during pregnancy. To safely and appropriately care for patients, surgeons must be cognizant of the maternal physiologic changes in pregnancy as well as of the unique risk to both mothers and fetuses of diagnostic modalities, anesthetic care, operative intervention, and postoperative management. Surgeons can be assured that, if these risks are understood and considered, operating during pregnancy, even in the abdomen, can be safely undertaken.

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