Bilateral Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block for Surgery on Both Upper Extremities in a Patient with Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis : A case report

Kim, Bo Song; Kwak, Ho Sung

Case Report

General Article

Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 2007;2(4):270-273.
Published online October 30, 2007.

Bilateral Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block for Surgery on Both Upper Extremities in a Patient with Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis : A case report

Bo Song Kim, Ho Sung Kwak

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. hs7370@chollian.net

Abstract

The interscalene approach of the brachial plexus block is a common technique for surgery on the upper extremities as it provides good intraoperative anesthesia and postoperative analgesia. However, bilateral blockade of both brachial plexuses has rarely been performed because it could lead to respiratory insufficiency and local anesthetic toxicity owing to the large amount of drug administered. We report a case of a successful bilateral interscalene brachial plexus block in a patient with unilateral vocal cord paralysis observed after a conventional endotracheal intubation.

Key Words: anesthetic technique, interscalene brachial plexus block, regional anesthesia, vocal cord paralysis