Regional Anesthesia in a Cirrhotic Patient With Coagulopathy and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case Report

End-stage liver disease increases perioperative risk due to cirrhosis-related complications such as portal hypertension, coagulopathy, ascites, encephalopathy, and impaired anesthetic metabolism. Although regional anesthesia may reduce these risks compared to general anesthesia, its use is often limited in this population due to coagulopathy and altered drug metabolism. We present the successful use of an axillary brachial plexus block with bupivacaine for olecranon bursa excision in a 72-year-old man with ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) IV physical status classification and a MELD-Na (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium) score of 15, complicated by coagulopathy, portal hypertension, and pulmonary hypertension. This case highlights the feasibility of regional anesthesia in high-risk cirrhotic patients with abnormal coagulation profiles.

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Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-08-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.91035
Primary Topic
Liver Disease and Transplantation
Type
article
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article

Regional Anesthesia in a Cirrhotic Patient With Coagulopathy and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case Report

David A. Olsen, Beth A. VanderWielen, Angela Lu, Katherine B. Elsea
Cureus
Liver Disease and Transplantation
article

Regional Anesthesia in a Cirrhotic Patient With Coagulopathy and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case Report

David A. Olsen, Beth A. VanderWielen, Angela Lu, Katherine B. Elsea
article en

Abstract

End-stage liver disease increases perioperative risk due to cirrhosis-related complications such as portal hypertension, coagulopathy, ascites, encephalopathy, and impaired anesthetic metabolism. Although regional anesthesia may reduce these risks compared to general anesthesia, its use is often limited in this population due to coagulopathy and altered drug metabolism. We present the successful use of an axillary brachial plexus block with bupivacaine for olecranon bursa excision in a 72-year-old man with ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) IV physical status classification and a MELD-Na (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium) score of 15, complicated by coagulopathy, portal hypertension, and pulmonary hypertension. This case highlights the feasibility of regional anesthesia in high-risk cirrhotic patients with abnormal coagulation profiles.

CureusVol. 17(8)
Mayo Clinic (US), Mayo Clinic in Arizona (US), Mayo Clinic in Florida (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 69%
Liver Disease and Transplantation
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Regional Anesthesia in a Cirrhotic Patient With Coagulopathy and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case Report — David A. Olsen, Beth A. VanderWielen, et al. · Cureus (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS