Complex cyanotic congenital heart disease and cervical spine surgery: Ticking all the right boxes
Sanjay Jaswal1, Vinitha Narayan2, Punith Gowda2
1Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
Insights
Managing adults with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) requires careful anesthetic planning for surgery. This case highlights successful management of a double outlet right ventricle (DORV) patient during fracture repair.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Anesthesiology
- Orthopedic Surgery
Background:
- Complex congenital heart disease (CHD) patients often require surgical interventions beyond childhood.
- Adults with CHD present unique anesthetic challenges due to continuous pathophysiological changes.
Observation:
- A middle-aged adult patient with double outlet right ventricle (DORV), a complex CHD, required surgery for a hangman's fracture.
- The surgery was performed in the prone position, adding complexity to anesthetic management.
Findings:
- Optimal anesthetic management was achieved by thoroughly understanding the patient's specific DORV anatomy and associated pathophysiology.
- The successful surgical outcome was attributed to the tailored anesthetic approach.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of individualized anesthetic strategies for adult CHD patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.
- It highlights the feasibility of managing complex cardiac conditions in adult surgical patients with appropriate multidisciplinary care.
Abstract:
Although complex congenital heart disease (CHD) patients usually present in childhood, it is not rare to see adults well past middle age. These patients undergo continuous pathophysiological changes in their heart and blood vessels, making anesthetic management more challenging if surgery is required. Herein, we report a case in which understanding the anatomy and pathophysiology helped optimally manage a patient with a double outlet right ventricle (DORV) who underwent plating and fixation for a hangman's fracture in the prone position.
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