[High risk vascular surgery, anesthesia and tranylcypromine. Description of a clinical case]

The author reports a patient, treated with tranylcipromine as antidepressant (a MAO inhibitor), who underwent an operation for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The antidepressant was stopped five days only, for neurological problems. The anesthesia was a combination among general anesthesia (Diprivan and Tracrium), epidural anaesthesia (lidocaine and clonidine) and electro-acupuncture. The cardio-circulatory, ventilatory and metabolic parameters were very stable both in the perioperative and in the postoperative period.