Anesthetic management of a patient with sickle cell disease for common bile duct exploration.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may present to the anesthetist in different clinical settings like perioperative care, management of acute painful crisis and intensive therapy for acute respiratory failure. We describe the successful management of a 34-year-old female patient with SCD, posted for cholecystectomy with common bile duct exploration under general and epidural anesthesia. The importance of preoperative stabilization and careful anesthetic strategy is emphasized.