Anaesthetic management of a patient with Gerbode defect

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Cardiac Surgery
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Gerbode defect is a rare left ventricle-to-right atrium shunt, increasingly acquired post-cardiac surgery, endocarditis, trauma, or myocardial infarction.
• Acquired Gerbode defects pose anesthetic challenges, requiring vigilance for circulatory failure post-cardiac surgery.

Observation:

• This case report details an acquired ventricular-atrial defect secondary to prior mitral valve replacement.
• Diagnosis was confirmed using trans-esophageal echocardiography.

Findings:

• Successful anesthetic management was achieved for a patient with an acquired Gerbode defect.
• Surgical correction of the ventricular-atrial defect was performed successfully.

Implications:

• Highlights the importance of considering acquired Gerbode defect in post-cardiac surgery circulatory failure.
• Demonstrates the feasibility of successful surgical correction for this rare condition.
• Emphasizes the role of trans-esophageal echocardiography in diagnosis.