2008 Volume 36 Issue 2 Pages 125-128
Whenever we discuss the overall results of surgical treatment for unruptured cerebral aneurysms, especially in aged patients, we tend to consider advanced age or general anesthesia as causes for unfavorable results. There are no reports concerning ischemic stroke events following general anesthesia in aged patients with a prior history of cerebrovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of general anesthesia on the brain in aged patients with a previous history of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. The subjects were 30 consecutive patients over 70 years of age with previous ischemic cerebrovascular disease who underwent various surgeries except brain and cardiac surgery under general anesthesia. The patients were 70 to 85 years old, with a mean age of 76. Twenty-three were men and 7 were women. Surgical procedures were 12 gastrointestinal, 6 orthopedic and 4 urogenital and others.
The type of cerebrovascular disease evaluated by neuroradiologist and anesthesiologist based on MR imaging was devided as follows: 16 patients had minor stroke, 7 had TIA/RIND and 7 had asymptomatic cerebral infarction. MR angiography was also assessed to evaluate the main artery in the brain. Blood pressure and arterial blood gas (PaCO2) during general anesthesia were analyzed, and the rate of systemic and neurological complications following general anesthesia were evaluated. MR angiography revealed no occlusion or severe stenosis of the main artery in the brain of any of the patients. The minimum systolic blood pressure showed less than 100 mmHg transiently for 5-20 minutes in 28 of 30 patients during general anesthesia. The minimum value was 65 mmHg maintained for 5 minutes. The minimum PaCO2 during general anesthesia was as follows: 1 case < 25 mmHg, 7 cases 26-30 mmHg, 10 cases 31-35 mmHg, 9 cases > 36 mmHg. There were no neurological complications following general anesthesia in this study. One of 30 patients (3.3%) had suffered from pneumonia following total gastrectomy.
Except for various surgeries performed under general anesthesia with long-lasting hypotension and hypocapnia, general anesthesia has no effect on the brain in aged patients with previous ischemic cerebrovascular disease without occlusion or severe stenosis of the main artery in the brain.
