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Separation of omphalopagus conjoined twins using combined caudal epidural - general anesthesia

Mark Greenberg, MD^*, David D. Frankville, MD and Mary Hilfiker, MD PhD

^* From the Departments of Anesthesiology and
Pediatric Surgery,
University of California at San Diego, California, USA.

Address correspondence to: Dr. Mark Greenberg, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, UCSD Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92103-8770, USA. Phone: 619-543-1999; Fax: 619-542-5424; E-mail: mgreenbe{at}ucsd.edu

Purpose: To describe the anesthetic management of newborn omphalopagus conjoined twins undergoing a series of diagnostic and surgical procedures which culminated in successful separation at one month of age.

Clinical features: Evaluations of the extent of shared organ systems were carried out without the need for anesthesia. The twins were anesthetized twice, once for insertion of skin expanders, and later for surgical separation. Various airway management techniques were utilized. To facilitate surgical separation, caudal epidural catheters were inserted in an effort to provide both operative and post-operative analgesia. In addition, prior to the induction of anesthesia, the extent of cross-circulation between twins was assessed.

Conclusion: Caudal epidural catheters can be used to provide both operative and post-operative analgesia. Early extubation, another benefit of regional analgesia, was not achieved because both twins developed respiratory failure in the immediate post-operative period. Testing for the extent of cross-circulation between twins proved valuable, allowing for detailed scripting of the complex induction sequence and airway management.

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