[Anesthetic management using percutaneous cardiopulmonary support for cesarean section in a patient with severe pulmonary hypertension].

ABSTRACT

A 27-year-old female with severe pulmonary hypertension was scheduled to undergo an elective cesarean section at the 32-week gestational age. Since the preoperative assessment revealed that the patient could not tolerate the hemodynamic changes during the operation under general anesthesia without any cardiopulmonary support, the percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) with a centrifugal pump was applied for the anesthetic management of the patient during the operation. After the induction of anesthesia, percutaneous cannulation was performed via the femoral artery and vein, and the PCPS was started with an assisted flow ranged 1.5-2.0 l.min-1. Then, the operation was performed, during which the cardiopulmonary function of the patient was well maintained with the aid of the PCPS. The operation was finished uneventfully, and the patient could successfully emerge from the PCPS immediately after the operation. The PCPS is thought to be very useful for the anesthetic management of the patients with poor cardiopulmonary tolerance.