AHA Scientific Statement | Anesthetic care of the pregnant patient with cardiovascular disease

Summary: The AHA emphasizes the need for specialized cardio-obstetric anesthesiology care for pregnant patients with cardiovascular disease, involving a multidisciplinary team of obstetricians, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and other specialists as needed. The approach includes preoperative evaluation, intraoperative management, and postoperative care to maintain maternal hemodynamic stability, optimize oxygen delivery to the fetus, and avoid factors that exacerbate cardiovascular disease. Vaginal delivery with effective neuraxial analgesia is the preferred mode of delivery, with cesarean delivery used for obstetrical indications or high-risk patients. Specific recommendations are also provided for the management of patients with different types of cardiovascular disease, including congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Article: Anesthetic Care of the Pregnant Patient With Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association – Circulation

Top Things to Know: Statement on the anesthetic care of the pregnant patient with cardiovascular disease – American Heart Association