Anesthesia, Resuscitation, and ICU: Q&A
in Health ·
Hi everyone. I’m new here and looking for some guidance from experienced anesthesiologists because I’m feeling a bit lost. Briefly, on March 30, I had vein surgery at a hospital in Washington, D.C. It was originally scheduled three weeks earlier—when I had my pre-op assessment and everything seemed fine—but I came down with what felt like a sudden cold. It lasted two days, followed by a weakened immune system and mouth ulcers, which ultimately forced the postponement. By March 30, the ulcers were still there but fading, so the anesthesiologist decided I could proceed, though they opted for spinal anesthesia instead of the general anesthesia the surgeon preferred. In the OR, they tried for a spinal, but they couldn't get my legs numb (or so I was told when I woke up; I don't recall the exact moment we switched to general). They ended up using a mask. When I woke up, my breathing felt labored and shallow, especially during exhalation—I heard later that I was already complaining about it as I was regaining consciousness. At first, I just chalked it up to a normal post-op recovery. Then, a week later, the shortness of breath started hitting me hard, always in the late afternoons and evenings. My first trip to the ER turned up nothing; X-rays, blood work, and EKGs were all clear. The second time, even my surgeon looked worried, so they sent me for a CT scan and a venous Doppler. Those results were also fine. While the acute attacks have calmed down, that heavy breathing in the evenings persists, along with chest tightness and a pulsing sensation in my veins. My blood pressure stays normal, which is odd since I had zero respiratory issues before the surgery. I’m waiting on more pulmonary tests (spirometry was okay) and cardiology workups. A pulmonologist briefly considered myasthenia gravis, though they doubt it since there's no significant muscle weakness. I want to know: is it possible this is an anesthetic complication? What are the possibilities from an anesthesia standpoint, and where should I head next? I hope you can help. P.S. I ended up back in the ER yesterday because my chest felt tight, my blood pressure spiked, and I struggled to breathe again. An internist suspected myasthenia, so they sent me to a neurologist who also thinks it's unlikely, but more testing is underway. Could general anesthesia have triggered potential myasthenia? Has anyone dealt with this?