Cardiac arrest during excision of a huge sacrococcygeal

Resection of large sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCTs) in premature neonates has been associated with significant perinatal mortality, making this a high risk procedure requiring careful anesthetic management. Most deaths during resection of SCTs are due to cardiac arrest caused by electrolyte imbalances, such as hyperkalemia, and massive bleeding during surgery. We describe two premature neonates who experienced cardiac arrest, one due to hyperkalemia and the other not due to hyperkalemia, during excision of large, prenatally diagnosed SCTs. We present here the considerations for anesthesia in premature neonates with huge SCTs. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2012; 63: 80-84)