Anaesthetics

People with neuromuscular conditions must take great care if they are to have a local or general anaesthetic.

Even someone with very mild symptoms or someone who has a family history of a disorder, needs to let the anaesthetist know well in advance so that tests can be carried out and proper care after the operation can be arranged.

Patients with neuromuscular disorders deserve special attention when it comes to anaesthesia because many of the agents (gases and chemicals) used have effects on both muscle and nervous tissue. The main areas of concern are how the anaesthetic agents will affect the muscle and how they will affect the heart that is itself a muscle.

Read the anaesthetics factsheet