Bilateral Lower Limb Sensorimotor Deficit Following General Anesthesia: A Case Report

Bilateral lower-limb sensorimotor deficit after general anesthesia is rare but important. We describe a 36-year-old woman who developed acute bilateral lower-limb weakness and numbness immediately after elective supra-umbilical hernia repair under general anesthesia. Notably, she had experienced a similar transient episode following cesarean section anesthesia. She had a negative diabetic history, no baseline numbness in daily activities, and a preoperative exam confirming all motor and sensory reflexes intact. Past history was significant for antidepressant therapy. Intraoperatively, induction was smooth, the patient remained vitally stable, and positioning was smooth in and out of the operating room. MRI excluded cord infarction and compressive lesions but revealed degenerative lumbar changes with paraspinal edema. Conservative management with dexamethasone, baclofen, and celecoxib led to complete recovery within four days. This case highlights the importance of recognizing perioperative neurological complications.