Anesthesia for cesarean section in patients with preexisting neurologic diseases –10 years of practice

Abstract

Objectives: Regional anesthesia is considered a ‘gold standard’ for cesarean sections. However, it is very often contraindicated in patients with coexistent neurological diseases. This article attempts to review the specific concerns for administration of anesthesia for cesarean section posed by spinal diseases, epilepsy, sclerosis multiplex and others. Materials and methods: We present 85 cases of parturients with pre-existing neurological diseases, who received anesthesia for caesarean section at the First Clinic of Anesthesia and Intensive Care in the last 10 years. We compared those cases with the medical literature. Results: We successfully used general as well as regional anesthesia. The decision about the anesthetic technique was based on the neurological state of each patient. Conclusion: No guidelines for anesthesiologist concerning the best anesthetic technique for patients with neurological diseases have been designed so far. The choice of the safest method is made individually and depends on a variety of factors.