Anesthetic management for nephroureterectomy surgery in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy: A Case Report

Abstract

Dilated cardiomyopathy is characterized by dilatation and impaired systolic function of one or both ventricles. Five to eight people per 100,000 develop this disorder each year(1). It can develop at any age and is more common in men. Dilated cardiomyopathy conveys a 50% risk of mortality within two years from onset of symptom. Sudden cardiac death resulting from malignant arrhythmias is the most common cause of death in dilated cardiomyopathy. It is the most common indication for cardiac transplant. Around 50% of cases of nonischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy are idiopathic. While other causes could be familial, Infectious causes of myocarditis, toxins (for example alcohol or chemotherapeutic agents), infiltrative disorders, nutritional deficiencies, connective tissue diseases(2). We report our experience of a successful anesthetic management of nephroureterctomy in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using combined thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and general anesthesia (GA).