title: Anesthesia for fetal surgery.
abstract: Fetal surgery pushes the limits of knowledge and therapy beyond conventional paradigms by treating the developing fetus as a patient. Providing anesthesia for fetal surgery is challenging for many reasons. It requires integration of both obstetric and pediatric anesthesia practice. Two patients must be anesthetized for the benefit of one, and there is little margin for error. Many disciplines are involved, and communication must be effective among all of them. Conducting anesthetic research with vulnerable populations, such as the pregnant woman carrying a fetus with a birth defect is difficult, and many questions remain to be answered. Work is needed to study possible neurotoxicity caused by exposure of the developing brain to anesthetic agents. The effects of stress on the developing fetus also must be further delineated. Anesthetic techniques vary by institution, and prospective studies to determine optimal anesthetic regimens are warranted.
authors: The Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors: Elaina E
authors: EE
authors: Lin
authors: Kha M
authors: KM
authors: Tran
mesh_terms: D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D046128:Fetal Therapies / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods; D021041:Placental Circulation; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods