Monoamine oxidase inhibitors: pharmacology and implications in the perioperative period

MAO inhibitor therapy has long been seen as a contraindication to anesthesia in all but the most critical of emergencies. Controlled studies of anesthesia and recent advancements in the knowledge of MAO inhibitor pharmacology have demonstrated relative safety in anesthetizing patients on these drugs. A basic knowledge of the underlying changes caused by MAO inhibitors allows rational and safe selection of medications both in the operating room and in the PACU.