High-dose Desflurane for Tocolysis During Intrapartum Myelomeningocele Repair in a Patient With Post-adriamycin Cardiomyopathy

High-dose desflurane is an uncommon need during general anesthesia. At our institution, open fetal surgery cases are managed with high desflurane concentrations to ensure uterine relaxation. We present a case of a 32-year-old parturient with a history of mild cardiomyopathy undergoing open fetal myelomeningocele repair. Phenylephrine and dopamine infusions helped maintain hemodynamic stability at 18% desflurane, while cardiac function was monitored with transthoracic echocardiography. This case is notable for the unknown risk of using high-dose desflurane with a preexisting cardiomyopathy and raises the question of the acceptable maternal risk in the setting of fetal surgery.