Anesthetic management of patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy

Purpose of reviewCardiovascular disease is increasingly emerging as a cause of peripartum morbidity and mortality. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is defined as pregnancy-related heart failure with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction Recent findingsPPCM has been investigated increasingly over the last few years. Significant progress has been made in the assessment of global epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, genetics and treatment.Although PPCM is an overall rare pathology, patients can potentially be encountered by any anesthesiologist in many different settings. Therefore, it is important to be aware of this disease and understand the basic implications for anesthetic management. Severe cases often require early referral to specialized centers for advanced hemodynamic monitoring and pharmacological or mechanical circulatory support.