Spinal Anesthesia for Emergent Testicular Torsion Surgery in a Pediatric Patient with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type-II

Abstract

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the most common inherited diseases in children. The clinical symptoms of this neuromuscular disease vary widely from muscle weakness to death according to the onset of symptoms. There is no specific treatment for the disease. There are many risks for anesthesia, as these patients usually have skeletal deformities, increased sensitivity to opioids and neuromuscular blockers, and pulmonary disease secondary to respiratory muscle dysfunction. There is no evidence-based advice or guideline for the management of anesthesia in SMA patients and that most of the literature is based upon case reports. In this report, a 13-year-old pediatric patient who underwent an emergent surgery for testicular torsion under neuraxial anesthesia is presented.