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Last week there was a posting where someone mentioned that personality change
in her husband had been attributed to the "Anesthesia" by the doctors taking
care of him after his heart surgery.

Shame on them - those of us with experience in this area knows that the most
common and frustrating post operative complication after heart surgery is
neurological dysfunction of varying degrees.  It is most likely due to
microemboli to the cerebral circulation.  There is absolutely no valid
scientific evidence  establishing
"Anesthesia"  as the proximate cause of postoperative mental changes.   To
give these physicians the benefit of the doubt, I will assume that their
error was made out of  understandable ignorance/inexperience rather than out
of a desire to shift "blame" to other physicians or therapeutic maneuvers.
  If they know of such evidence, I would appreciate seeing the peer reviewed
literature and would like an opportunity to comment.

Until then, let us feel compassion for those afflicted with this frustrating
disability and work towards finding not only a cause but a solution.

Ken Janis, MD  (Parkinsons patient)
Associate Professor of  Anesthesiology
University of New Mexico