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Epidural analgesia and tattoos: a modified technique to minimise risks and improve safety

Carla Retroz-Marques1, Ana Filipa Albuquerque Correia2, Acilio Marques2

  • 1Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra EPE, Coimbra, Portugal crmarques.doc@gmail.com.

BMJ Case Reports
|December 23, 2023
PubMed

A healthy young woman with a sizeable lumbar tattoo was admitted to the delivery room in active labour at full-term gestation. She was experiencing strong, painful contractions and anxiety, concerned about the possible risks of receiving an epidural through a tattoo. Although there is little published evidence to suggest complications of performing an epidural through a tattoo, some studies report 'tissue coring phenomenon'. The anaesthesiology team informed the patient of the risks inherent in a traditional epidural and the potential long-term risks of receiving an epidural through the tattoo. Upon signing the informed consent form, the modified epidural technique was performed, and its administration proceeded without complications. A healthy boy was born 3.5 hours later in a vacuum-assisted delivery. This article describes the modified epidural technique designed to minimise tissue coring, and the results of 18 months of uneventful patient follow-up.

Keywords:
AnaesthesiaDermatologyObstetrics, gynaecology and fertilityPainPain (neurology)

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