One of the possible side effects of general anesthesia is malignant hyperthermia.
What is malignant hyperthermia?
Malignant hyperthermia refers to the sudden onset of high fever during general anesthesia that often results in death. It is a very rare reaction, but as it is still a possibility, it's good to know about this and keep it in mind.
Recently, the medication Dantrolene has been discussed by many people considering undergoing cosmetic surgeries. This medication that not many are familiar with is used to treat a symptom that is also unfamiliar to most- malignant hyperthermia. Today we will go over why malignant hyperthermia occurs and how it's related to cosmetic surgery.
First, malignant hyperthermia refers to when the body reaches a high fever of 43℃ or 109.4°F. If the body were to reach this high temperature, symptoms such as myotonia (muscle stiffness), respiratory acidosis, or hyperkalemia can appear. If not treated quickly, in severe cases, these dangerous symptoms can lead to death. There are many causes for malignant hyperthermia, but there is a small chance that it can happen during general anesthesia.
Due to the fact that facial bone contouring surgery or double jaw surgery is done under general anesthesia, malignant hyperthermia is a possible side effect that can happen during surgery.
If malignant hyperthermia occurs, the body temperature rises in a very short period of time. In order suppress the fever, it is necessary to administer Dantrolene intravenously. This medication that is necessary in emergency situations is, in reality, rarely found in hospitals due to their high cost and short shelf life.
If a patient at one of the hospitals that do not have Dantrolene on-hand suddenly develops malignant hyperthermia during surgery, they will miss the critical timeframe in which the patient will need to be treated while transferring the patient to another hospital with the necessary medication. It's therefore incredibly important to undergo surgery at a hospital equipped with the necessary safety measures in case of any possible emergencies such as Dantrolene and a backup generator, and an anethesialogist who can ensure the safety of the patient while under general anesthesia,
Though not a common symptom, the fatality rate of malignant hyperthermia makes it impossible to ignore when deciding on surgery. At EU Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, we not only prepared Dantrolene in case of malignant hyperthermia, but also have an anesthesiologist who will monitor each patient throughout the surgery, and have other safety systems in place for the patients to undergo double jaw surgery or facial contouring surgery with peace of mind.
[WATCH] Korean Surgeon Explains Malignant Hyperthermia After Anesthesia
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