Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernias are caused by a defect in the closure of the pericardioperitoenal canal. It is a particular challenge for anesthetists during the perioperative management of patients with diaphragmatic hernias such as intraoperative complications including hypoxia and hypercarbia. Mortality remains high due to pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension.
Case: An 8-day-old boy with a diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia underwent laparotomy to repair the diaphragmatic defect cap. The patient presented with shortness of breath from chest X-ray and found a diaphragmatic hernia. The preoperative assessment shows the patient is still in optimal condition. General anesthesia technique was performed with controlled breath intubation. Monitoring is done with, NIBP, EKG, SpO2. Postoperatively the patient is stable and laboratory tests show results within normal limits and the patient is extubated after 5 days of treatment at the NICU and returns after 11 days of treatment in the room
Discussion: There are various challenges by an anesthesiologists during management of such cases which include intraoperative complications including hypoxia and hypercarbia. Mortality remains high because of associated pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension