Brainstem anesthesia during removal operation of ventriculoperitoneal shunt - A case report

Brainstem anesthesia is a transient loss of brainstem function usually associated with retrobulbar block and rarely seen by neurosurgeons.

Here, we report a case of brainstem anesthesia during shunt revision operation in a 79-year-old woman. Local anesthesia administered at the end of surgery was thought to have infiltrated the subarachnoid space through a burr hole, causing prolonged unconsciousness and cranial nerves' impairment. Spontaneous resolution occurred during systemic support.

As brainstem anesthesia may occur by leakage of local anesthetic through small burr holes, timing injections carefully can avoid this rare complication.