Elective Cesarean Section under General Anesthesia Experience in more than 5,000 Patients at Melinda Women Hospital Bandung-Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Despite the safe nature of the procedure, cesarean section (CS) is still associated with higher maternal mortality and morbidity rates. CS can be performed under spinal, epidural, combined spinal and epidural, or general anesthesia. The choice of anesthesia for CS is still a matter of debate due to its side effects on mothers and neonates. Success in the selection of anesthesia in CS is seen in maternal and neonatal outcomes, where the Apgar score is used for assessing neonates in the first and fifth minutes. AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of general anesthesia in cesarean section as measured by Apgar score. SUBJECT AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analytical retrospective study on a total sample of 7,131 patients who underwent elective cesarean section under general anesthesia during 18 years (July 2004–June 2022) at Melinda Women Hospital Bandung Indonesia. In this study, data from medical records were used to analyze neonatal and maternal outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 7,131 CS under general anesthesia cases, no maternal death or difficult ventilation was found; however, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) (15), difficult intubation (6), hypotension (5), and need for blood transfusion (5), and postoperative analgesia (all cases) were observed in the mothers. In neonates, neonatal death caused by IUFD and severe congenital disease (3), and a mean neonatal Apgar score of 9 and 10 at 1 and 5 min were identified. CONCLUSION: No low Apgar score is found as the effect of general anesthesia in cesarean section.