Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 6/30/2009

Question
My husband  had an endarterectomy with Regional Anthesthesia in May 2009. He has memory loss, every day he
is irate, he yells about everything. He was discharged from
the hospital the next day after surgery, with a cough which was pneumonia, 6 wks later he is finally over it., but continues with this mean personality change.  He is 78.

He is a very loving and nice man.  I feel very sad
and I don't know what to do.  Will he every get better?

Patricia

Answer
This is not related to the anesthesia but more likely to the surgery. When they do a carotid, several things could happen. They need to occlude the artery while they clean it out. If the collateral flow is not enough, then areas of the brain may not get enough oxygen and that could lead to the symptoms you describe. He could have also embolized an atherosclerotic plaque to the brain. whatever the cause, I would suggest having him seen by a neurologist and perhaps getting a CT/MRI scan to see if there was any brain involvement.

Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston