Deceptive level after intrathecal block for cesarean section in a patient with prior abdominoplasty. a case report

Abdominoplasty is performed in an increasing number of patients, both male and female. The removal and hence rearrangement of abdominal skin may make assessment of the dermatome level of a subarachnoid block difficult. Also patients may hesitate, or even forget, to reveal cosmetic surgeries during the preanesthetic interview. Therefore it is important to maintain a high index of suspicion in patients who have had bariatric surgery. In this report we present the case of a deceptive anesthetic level in a parturient with an undisclosed history of abdominoplasty who presented for Cesarean section