Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 2/19/2007

Question
I have a question about the long term symptoms of anesthesia.  I recently had a salpingectomy on 02/07/07.  I had regular symptoms after the surgery.  Soon after I realized I was pregnant.  I have had horrible headaches that have not gone away since the surgery.  Someone had told me that it is possible it is from the anesthesia.  I assumed it was the pregnancy.  I am not really sure what to do with them, since all I can take is tylenol.  Is it possible it is leftover from the surgery somehow, and how do I tell? Thanks for you time.

Kim

Answer
It is not clear..were you pregnant at the time of surgery? IF so, I am surprised that neither your gyn or anesthesiologist did a pregnancy test as there are risks of certain anesthetics to the developing newborn. As for the headaches, did you have general or spinal anesthesia? If it was general, then it is unlikely that the headaches are related to anesthesia. If a spinal (or epidural) then depending on the type of headache, it could be related. If the headace is worse when you sit up than when you lie down, it it likely related to the spinal anesthetic and you should be seen by an anesthesiologist.

Hope this helps,

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston