[Anesthesia for Shy-Drager syndrome; effects of elastic bandage, phenylephrine, and IPPV]

A 57-year-old man with Shy-Drager syndrome underwent plastic surgery for decubitus on the buttocks under general anesthesia. Before induction of anesthesia, an elastic bandage was applied to the legs, and its effects were examined by raising the upper body. The fall in mean blood pressure decreased from 49% to 39%, and the symptoms of cerebral hypoxia disappeared. However, the induction of anesthesia with 5 mg diazepam, 0.05 mg fentanyl, and 100 mg thiamylal reduced blood pressure abruptly from 150/88 mmHg to 95/68 mmHg. Continuous infusion of phenylephrine was then started, and blood pressure became stable at around 150/90 mmHg. In this state, IPPV did not reduce the blood pressure in the supine position, and did not intensify its fall when the upper body was raised. Anesthesia was maintained with nitrous oxide 70% in oxygen, fentanyl and pancuronium. During the surgery, ventilation was controlled, and phenylephrine was infused at the rate of 5-15 micrograms.min-1 to maintain systolic blood pressure above 100 mmHg. Phenylephrine was infused during the two postoperative days, because blood pressure fell whenever the patient's posture was changed to prevent pressure on the operative site.