Anesthetic Management of a Patient with Postpolio Syndrome

Abstract

Postpolio syndrome（PPS）is a disease in which patients with a history of acute poliomyelitis develop a variety of symptoms such as muscle weakness and chronic pain after a stable period of several decades. We present the case of a female patient in her sixties with PPS who underwent emergency surgery for an orbital floor fracture under general anesthesia. We administered rocuronium under neuromuscular monitoring. The patient recovered from anesthesia and was discharged without any postoperative complications. Patients with PPS have a number of diseases that require attention in the perioperative period such as increased sensitivity to anesthetic agents including muscle relaxants, respiratory dysfunction, sleep apnea, and dysphagia, but the severity of these diseases varies. In this case, we were able to safely manage the patient with PPS by taking thorough note of her medical history and conducting detailed monitoring despite the limited availability of preoperative examinations due to the urgent nature of her surgery.