Anaesthesia for Caesarean section in a patient with myotonic dystrophy receiving warfarin therapy

A 31-yr-old parturient with myotonic dystrophy and asthma presented for elective Caesarean section. The patient was receiving warfarin having had two previous episodes of thromboembolism. Anticoagulation was subsequently provided by heparin in the weeks prior to delivery. The combination of the patient’s medical conditions and the continuing need for anticoagulation presented a considerable anaesthetic problem in planning anaesthesia and analgesia for both elective and emergency delivery. Heparin was discontinued on the day prior to surgery and restarted immediately after surgery. During surgery flowtron anti-embolitic boots were used. Warfarin therapy was recommenced on the seventh postoperative day. Anaesthesia for Caesarean section was provided using a combined spinal epidural technique using a separate needle, separate interspace method. Postoperative pain was relieved by using a continuous epidural infusion, transcutaneous nerve stimulation and diclofenac. No new neurological problems arose despite the use of epidural analgesia in the presence of heparin anticoagulation. This method of providing anaesthesia and postoperative analgesia without the use of opioids in an anticoagulated, asthmatic, myotonic parturient has not been described elsewhere.