A pregnant lady with compound bowel obstruction managed with thoracic epidural as sole anesthesia in a resource-restricted setting: a case report

BACKGROUND: Preserving the mother’s safety, sustaining the pregnancy state, and achieving the optimal fetal outcome are the major priorities when managing obstetric patients for non-obstetric surgery. Only necessary and urgent surgeries are carried out during pregnancy due to the effects of anesthesia and surgery on the fetus. Compound bowel obstruction (small and large bowel obstruction) is rare, especially during the third trimester of pregnancy. Besides this, the procedure (laparotomy) was done with awake opioid-based thoracic epidural anesthesia as the sole anesthesia. This case report of awake laparotomy for major abdominal surgery is the first of its kind with an excellent feto-maternal outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old African pregnant lady presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of abdominal pain and vomiting for an 8-hour duration; associated with this, she had a history of blurred vision, lightheadedness, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, and constipation. Later, she was diagnosed with large bowel obstruction and underwent an emergency laparotomy, managed with a thoracic epidural sole anesthesia. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary team approach is greatly recommended to safeguard a sufficient standard of care for both the mother and fetus. The provision of regional anesthesia for patients with high risks in perioperative periods is crucial for a better postoperative outcome. We have confidence that thoracic epidural anesthesia can be used as another anesthetic option for major abdominal surgery in a resource-restricted setting for patients who are expected to have a significant risk of perioperative adverse events under general anesthesia.