Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 5/9/2008

Question
My 73 year old mother had a colonoscopy under general anesthia and they had a hard time waking her out of it. Two days ago she had major surgery and we thought that she had not regained consciousness but it may be a stroke. My question is can someone have a very bad reaction to anesthia that would cause a stroke or look like a stroke? What would we look for to be sure? Thanks..

Answer
There is no "anesthesia" reaction that looks like a stroke. Some people take longer than others to emerge from anesthesia but they either wake up or not..there is no in between. People who have had a stroke have other evidence that lead to that diagnosis...unequal pupils, slurring of speech, weakness on one side and CT evidence of a stroke. Anesthesia can put a person at risk for a stroke (not because of a previous bad reaction but just the hemodynamic responses of anesthesia) but anesthesia does not simulate a stroke.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston