Anesthetic Management of Pregnant Women with Stroke

Stroke during pregnancy is rare, but when it occurs, most patients have serious neurological sequelae. Hemorrhagic stroke during pregnancy often requires emergency surgery. The potential for fetal harm, as well as significant maternal physiological changes, should be considered during anesthetic management of such patients. Whether Cesarean section or neurosurgical intervention should be prioritized or performed simultaneously is an important issue in pregnant women with stroke. Another clinically significant issue is whether general or spinal and epidural anesthesia should be used. Here, we review the anesthetic management of pregnant women with stroke.