CASE REPORT
Neuromuscular block reversal with
sugammadex in a morbidly obese patient with
myasthenia gravis
More details
Hide details
Publication date: 2019-09-11
Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther 2012;44(1):28-30
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Myasthenia gravis is a rare immunological illness that impairs neuromuscular
transmission. Myasthenic patients are usually hypersensitive to non-depolarising muscle relaxants,
and reversal with neostigmine is rarely effective. We report the successful reversal of rocuroniuminduced
neuromuscular block in a morbidly obese myasthenic patient.
Case report:
A 38-year-old morbidly obese (body weight 160 kg, BMI 48.8 kg m-2) woman was
scheduled for elective laparoscopic gastric banding. She was anaesthetised with propofol-based
TIVA; intubation was facilitated by 24 mg of rocuronium. After spontaneous recovery of T1, she
received 200 mg of sugammadex, which completely restored the NMT ratio (TOF=100%) within
2 min and 48 sec., and she was extubated. No postoperative complications were observed.
Conclusion:
Sugammadex can be successfully used in myasthenic patients, allowing for the safe
use of muscle relaxants in these patients.