Anesthesia management for open fetal intrauterine surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Open fetal surgery is usually performed during the second trimester in a fetus suffering from severe congenital diseases, thus enabling the pregnancy to continue until delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The key of this treatment is to promote uterine relaxation enough to maintain both maternal and fetal circulation stable and once surgery is completed, to offer a perfect analgesic to avoid the contractions due to pain, and finally to reduce preterm delivery. RESULTS: Successful anesthesia is fundamental to this surgery. CONCLUSION: The authors have performed three cases under inhalation anesthesia combined with successful epidural anesthesia.