Perioperative Management of a Jehovah's Witness Presenting for Skull Base Surgery

Skull Base Surg. 1996;6(2):133-6. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1058906.

Abstract

A 22-year-old, otherwise healthy, female Jehovah's Witness underwent resection of a midline skull base chondrosarcoma which had been detected after a work-up for headache and diplopia. After bilateral maxillectomies, ethmoidectomies, and a sphenoidectomy, the patient's chondrosarcoma was resected. Despite proper anesthetic management and meticulous hemostasis, significant intraoperative blood loss occurred. The initial postoperative hemoglobin level was 2.3 gm/dL. The clinical concerns pertaining to the perioperative management of the Jehovah's Witness are discussed along with the patient's course and management.

Publication types

  • Case Reports