EPIDURAL HEMATOMA AFTER EPIDURAL-ANESTHESIA IN A PATIENT WITH PERIPHERAL VASCULAR-DISEASE - CASE-REPORT

Background and Objectives. Epidural hematoma is a severe, uncommon com plication associated with epidural anesthesia in patients with periphe ral vascular disease who require anticoagulant therapy. Methods. An 84 -year-old woman with acute left leg arterial ischemia underwent revasc ularization surgery under lumbar epidural anesthesia. Pre- and postope rative heparin was administered as an anticoagulant. Results. Reperfus ion of the leg was successful, however, 3 days later clinical signs of spinal cord compression appeared and epidural hematoma was diagnosed. Neurologic recovery was poor. Conclusions. This case highlights the n eed for careful individual preoperative analysis and postoperative obs ervation to make anesthetic practice safe in patients receiving periop erative anticoagulant therapy.