Administering Anesthesia for Patients with ALS Having a Diaphragmatic Pacemaker Placed: Special Considerations

Molly Kraus; Lopa Misra

doi:10.4236/ojanes.2014.49032

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OJAnes> Vol.4 No.9, September 2014

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Administering Anesthesia for Patients with ALS Having a Diaphragmatic Pacemaker Placed: Special Considerations ()

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DOI: 10.4236/ojanes.2014.49032 4,563 Downloads 5,709 Views Citations

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Molly Kraus^*, Lopa Misra

Affiliation(s)

Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, USA.

ABSTRACT

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a relentlessly progressive, fatal disease. Progression of the disease results 3 - 5 years after diagnosis, often from respiratory failure. The diaphragm pacing system (DPS) is a device that stimulates the diaphragm to maximally contract so patients can breathe more effectively. It has been used in patients with neurologic injuries such as spinal cord injury and ALS. From an anesthetic perspective, both the surgery and the patient population present several unique challenges. This case series describes three patients with ALS who had the diaphragmatic pacemaker placed and the anesthetic management during those surgeries.

KEYWORDS

ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Diaphragmatic Pacemaker, DPS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Cite this paper

Kraus, M. and Misra, L. (2014) Administering Anesthesia for Patients with ALS Having a Diaphragmatic Pacemaker Placed: Special Considerations. Open Journal of Anesthesiology, 4, 223-226. doi: 10.4236/ojanes.2014.49032.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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