Lumbar Discectomy under General Anesthesia in a Pregnant Woman in the 13th Week of Gestation : A Clinical Case Report

Abstract

We report a case of lumbar discectomy under general anesthesia in a pregnant woman in the 13th week of gestation. To avoid miscarriage and premature labor, surgery and anesthesia in pregnant women should be undertaken carefully in the second trimester of pregnancy due to fewer maternal anatomical and physiological changes at that time. In this case, surgery was performed at the end of the first trimester, in the 13th week, because of deteriorating neurologic symptoms, as well as the possible problems associated with adoption of the prone position due to the enlarging uterus. Care should be taken when selecting general anesthetics in pregnant women. In this case, there seemed to be no obvious adverse effects of general anesthesia on the fetus. During anesthetic management for surgery in pregnant women, maintaining utero-placental perfusion and avoiding the use of teratogenic agents are essential to prevent adverse effects.