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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Should I worry about anesthesia?
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Should I worry about anesthesia?
by JenniferS, Apr 29, 2003 12:00AM
My two year old son is scheduled to have his adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears next month. He's had two seizures in his life...one lasted 10 minutes, and was focal, afebrile (right side of body only). The other happened after he was under sedation for a CT scan. (He was under general anesthesia prior to that for an ABR, and had no problems).
About 6 hours after the procedure, my son got very lethargic and hot, vomitted, and rhythmically "punched out" with his right arm for less than a minute. It all ended as quickly as it began. We called the recovery room, and they were not concerned. The ENT doing the procedure next month didn't seem concerned either, but I am. Should I let my son go under anesthesia again? He's scheduled for an MRI to investigate the seizures, but not until after this procedure is scheduled?
Thank you!
Jennifer
About 6 hours after the procedure, my son got very lethargic and hot, vomitted, and rhythmically "punched out" with his right arm for less than a minute. It all ended as quickly as it began. We called the recovery room, and they were not concerned. The ENT doing the procedure next month didn't seem concerned either, but I am. Should I let my son go under anesthesia again? He's scheduled for an MRI to investigate the seizures, but not until after this procedure is scheduled?
Thank you!
Jennifer
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT, Apr 29, 2003 12:00AM
Please keep in mind that I've never seen your son personally nor have I reviewed his clinical history in detail. For a more detailed explanation that is specific to his case, please consult with your pediatrician. Having said that...
I certainly can understand your concerns about the anesthesia given his last experience with the prior procedure (which does sound like it could have been a seizure), but theoretically unless a patient is allergic to the anesthetic or has an underlying genetic disease (such as certain muscles diseases) that predisposes them to adverse effects with anesthetic agents, they should be ok undergoing anesthesia even with an underlying seizure disorder. Now there are some anesthetics that can cause seizures such as halothane, but on the flipside, we use other anesthetics like versed to actually treat seizures emergently. Also, the physical/emotional stress of the procedure in itself can reduce the body's threshold for having a seizure, leaving the patient with a seizure disorder vulnerable to having one peri-operatively. The best thing you can do is inform the surgeon (which you've already done) and the anesthesiologist who will be in on the case (if you can, sometimes, they don't know who's doing the case until day of surgery). Also, consult with your pediatrician or peds neurologist for more info. Best of luck.
I certainly can understand your concerns about the anesthesia given his last experience with the prior procedure (which does sound like it could have been a seizure), but theoretically unless a patient is allergic to the anesthetic or has an underlying genetic disease (such as certain muscles diseases) that predisposes them to adverse effects with anesthetic agents, they should be ok undergoing anesthesia even with an underlying seizure disorder. Now there are some anesthetics that can cause seizures such as halothane, but on the flipside, we use other anesthetics like versed to actually treat seizures emergently. Also, the physical/emotional stress of the procedure in itself can reduce the body's threshold for having a seizure, leaving the patient with a seizure disorder vulnerable to having one peri-operatively. The best thing you can do is inform the surgeon (which you've already done) and the anesthesiologist who will be in on the case (if you can, sometimes, they don't know who's doing the case until day of surgery). Also, consult with your pediatrician or peds neurologist for more info. Best of luck.
