Indian journal of anaesthesia
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Non-obstetric surgery during pregnancy posts additional concerns to anaesthesiologists. The chief goals are to preserve maternal safety, maintain the pregnant state and achieve the best possible foetal outcome. The choice of anaesthetic technique and the selection of appropriate anaesthetic drugs should be guided by indication for surgery, nature, and site of the surgical procedure. ⋯ Until date, no anaesthetic drug has been shown to be clearly dangerous to the human foetus. The decision on proceeding with surgery should be made by multidisciplinary team involving anaesthesiologists, obstetricians, surgeons and perinatologists. This review describes the general anaesthetic principles, concerns regarding anaesthetic drugs and outlines some specific conditions of non-obstetric surgeries.