Abstract
Background Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a widely applied procedure
in the treatment of patients with advanced Parkinson disease and is generally performed
under local anesthesia. Here we report our experience with the conversion to general
anesthesia in two patients with advanced Parkinson disease because of fear reactions
intraoperatively.
Case Description Patients received general anesthesia with propofol and were implanted with electrodes
at the level of STN guided by multiple-microelectrode electrophysiological recordings
after obtaining informed consent. During the recordings the propofol levels were reduced.
Postoperative clinical assessments showed marked improvements of motor disability
with significant reductions of dopaminergic medication.
Conclusion Our case observations document the possibility of fear reactions intraoperatively
and show the possibility of conversion to general anesthesia with a successful outcome.
Keywords
subthalamic nucleus - general anesthesia - propofol - deep brain stimulation - Parkinson
disease
