Anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and mitral valve prolapse.
We report the successful use of single-shot spinal anaesthesia for elective caesarean section in a multigravid woman with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, complicated by mitral valve prolapse. This is a rare inherited collagen disorder that has been reported to have a high pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality, particularly from uterine rupture and uncontrolled bleeding from friable vessels, coagulopathy and major vessel rupture. The literature concerning obstetric anaesthetic management for different types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and the management of mitral valve prolapse in pregnancy are reviewed.
Anaesthetic Department, St. Georges' Hospital, Tooting, London, UK. pdilr@yahoo.co.uk
P
P
Dill-Russell
L S
LS
Jones