Unilateral Spinal Anesthesia Experience in a Supercentenarian

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Anesthesiology
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Increased life expectancy due to socioeconomic and medical advancements necessitates anesthetic strategies for the elderly.
• Femoral fractures are common in older populations, often requiring surgical intervention.
• Assessing anesthetic safety and efficacy in centenarian patients is crucial.

Observation:

• A 111-year-old female patient presented with a fractured femur requiring internal fixation.
• Spinal anesthesia was administered for the surgical procedure.
• The surgery duration was 75 minutes.

Findings:

• The patient tolerated spinal anesthesia without any immediate complications.
• Postoperative monitoring in the intensive care unit for 24 hours revealed no adverse events.
• The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 2.

Implications:

• Spinal anesthesia can be a safe and effective anesthetic option for centenarian patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery.
• This case highlights the feasibility of managing complex orthopedic cases in extremely elderly individuals.
• Further research into anesthetic techniques for the super-elderly population is warranted.