Perioperative management of patients with spina bifida

By reading this article, you should be able to: •Describe the classification, epidemiology, embryology and aetiology of spina bifida (SB). •Relate the multisystemic manifestations of SB relevant to the anaesthetist. •Detail aspects of perioperative care unique to patients with SB. Sean Hartigan FCAI is a specialist registrar in anaesthesia. He is currently undertaking his training module in paediatric anaesthesia at Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street, the national referral centre for paediatric neurosurgery and spinal surgery in patients with spina bifida. Bill Walsh FCAI FJFICMI is a consultant paediatric anaesthetist at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Temple Street, the national paediatric neurosurgery centre, and previously at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, a tertiary centre for paediatric lower limb reconstruction. He is also an assistant professor in the School of Medicine, University College Dublin and the Irish representative on the council of the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.