Case 23: Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome – Any Concern for General Anesthesia?

Abstract

A 42-year-old female (ASA 2) is scheduled for outpatient functional endoscopic sinus surgery. She has had no previous surgical procedures under anesthesia. She is otherwise healthy except for a history of hypertension, mild COPD, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. She is taken to the operating room and standard monitors are placed, including the oxygen saturation probe on her ring finger [1]. Routine general anesthesia proves uneventful. Her eyes are taped after she is asleep, but before the airway is secured with an endotracheal tube. The intraoperative course and extubation is uncomplicated. The tapes on her eyes are seen to have closed the eyelids throughout the operation. The eye tape is easily and atraumatically removed at the end of the surgery. The patient wakes up and is comfortable with no pain. The patient is taken to the recovery room. At no time was the patient seen rubbing her eyes, either on the way to the recovery or in the recovery room.