TMSS Medical College Journal

Delayed recovery can occur following general anesthesia and is one of the biggest challenges for Anesthesiologists. It may be due to different causes; could be drugs or non-drugs related. We report a case of delayed recovery following repair of large epigastric hernia of a 70 kg weight patient of 40 years and had no comorbities. Pre operatively, all routine clinical findings and investagition reports were within normal limit; however, he had delayed recovery. Prompt assessment was essential to explore the causes for correction and early recovery to save the life of the patient.

Ideally after completion of surgery and anesthesia ,the patient should be awake or easily arousable, protecting the airway, maintaining adequate ventilation and with their pain under control’. Delayed recovery refers to abnormally slow pace of regaining consciousness after General Anesthesia is characterized by persistence somnolence’. Delayed recovery from anesthesia remains a cause of concern, both for Anesthesiologist and Surgeon.The principal factor for delayed awakening from anesthesia is assumed to be the medications and anesthetic agents used in perioperative period. Time to emerge from anesthesia is very variable depends on many factors related to the patient, type of anesthetic given and length of surgery”. Although delayed emergence from anesthesia is not uncommon, recognizing the cause and instituting timely treatment is imperative in condition where delayed therapy can increase morbidity and mortality.