Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 11/4/2008

Question
my husband was to undergo shoulder surgery.  He is a 63 year old man in excellent health (with a 44 resting heart rate).  Shortly after they started the anesthesia, he developed what the doctor told me was a tachy-bradacardia, and they stopped the surgery and brought him out of the anesthesia.  He had no abnormal sensation in his chest at all...no shortness or breath, pain, etc...but it didn't stop and he had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he stayed for 24 hours.  I was told by someone in the surgical center that some kind of drug had been administered to raise up his heartbeat.  He is now undergoing cardiac testing, all of which has been normal.  What could have caused this and how do we prevent it when he finally does get his shoulder surgery?

Answer
Hi Nora
I assume your husband is on no medication.
A resting heasrt rate of 44 is pretty slow unless your husband runs marathons or cycles miles at a time. If he does then OK if he doesn't then one would be wondering slightly why it was so slow.
Now this discription of a tachy- bradycardia - that is a bit confusing. tachycardia refers to a fast heart rate, bradycardia is a slow heart rate. So using both terms together is unusual. However some people with slow heart rates are susceptible to heart dysrhythmias. This may have happened with your husband during the anaesthetic. Certain anaesthetic agents have an effect on the conduction system of the heart and so could have contributed to this.
Two important things - he is fine and secondly he is being investigated. Once they are happy that all is OK then he should be able to proceed without problems. I am sure the anaesthetists will manage to look after him by careful choice of the anaesthetic agents they use.
Sorry I cannot be more specific but only those who have seen your husband, seen the ECG's of the problem he had and the records of the drugs he had been given etc can really comment.
Kind regards
Dr Ian Jackson