Successful Outcome after Regional Anesthesia in a Parturient with Dilated Cardiomyopathy for Elective Cesarean Section: Navigating a Stormy Sea

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a primary disorder of the myocardium characterized by impaired ventricular dilatation and impaired ventricular contractility. DCM in pregnancy could be associated with adverse cardiac events. Hemodynamic changes occurring at the time of delivery challenge the functional adaptability of the already compromised cardiovascular system. Perioperative anesthetic management of a parturient with DCM undergoing cesarean section thus requires that anesthesiologists have thorough knowledge and understanding of the disease and its management. Here, we describe the successful anesthetic management of a pregnant woman with DCM with low ejection fraction who underwent a cesarean section under central neuraxial blockade.