The Patient AS EDUcator in Anesthesia: Exploring the Patients' Experience During and After Unexpected Cesarean Delivery Under General Anesthesia to Inform Anesthetic Practice

Cesarean delivery (CD) is a surgical procedure that allows for birth of a neonate through a laparotomy and hysterotomy and is the most common surgical procedure performed worldwide with 21% of all childbirths occurring via CD.

A single-shot spinal anesthesia is the most common technique for CD due to its simplicity, quality of sensory blockade and reliability, as well as because of the safety for the fetus. Nevertheless, there are clinical situation where general anesthesia is necessary. General anesthesia care in obstetric scenarios remains a serious concern because of a high failed intubation rate, accidental awareness, increasing association with postpartum depression requiring hospitalization, suicidal ideation and self-inflicted injury, and traumatic birth experiences. General anesthesia for CD might not be planned and pivoting to this unexpected type of anesthesia can be a traumatic experience for patients and their families. Patients may receive a GA for various reasons, including failed neuraxial anesthesia, hemodynamic instability, or critical fetal situations not amendable to neuraxial anesthesia.

Inclusion criteria

• aged 18 years or older
• English language proficiency (as interviews will be performed in English)
• ASA Physical Classification Score 2-5 +/- E
• Emergency or Urgent Cesarean Delivery with the need for general anesthesia due to fetal or maternal emergencies (e.g., fetal bradycardia, HELLP syndrome, etc.)
• Unexpected Cesarean Delivery is defined as Level 1 (Emergency - Immediate threat to life of woman or fetus) and Level 2 (Urgent - Maternal or fetal compromise which is not immediately life-threatening) Cesarean Deliveries.21
• Patients will be included if they undergo preterm delivery (under 37 weeks of gestation, or are having a multiple gestation pregnancy, also, if there is a significant fetal anomaly present.

Exclusion criteria

• Under 18 years of age
• Unable to answer questions due to a language barrier or because of their mental or physical state (e.g., intubated patients)
• BMI at the time of delivery that falls in the super-morbidly obese category (BMI > 55 kg/m2)
• Patients who underwent preterm delivery (under 32 weeks gestation)
• Patients will be excluded if neonatal death has occurred.
• Patients who were scheduled for an elective Cesarean Delivery, but had contraindicated or failed neuraxial anesthesia and required general anesthesia for or during their CD will be excluded.