title: Successful mitral valve surgery in a patient with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a weakness of the muscles with remissions and exacerbations due to antibodies against acetylcholine receptors. Most of the patients die because of a respiratory failure toward the end of the disease. A 49-year-old male patient with MG in whom a thymectomy operation had been performed five years ago had dyspnea, palpitation, and chest pain during his admission. After his examination, a severe mitral regurgitation was detected, and he underwent a successful mitral valve replacement. A general anesthesia management was performed using sufentanyl and propophol without any muscle relaxant agent. He was extubated seven hours after the surgery. He had difficulty in swallowing at postoperative day three, and his medication doses were increased. He was discharged from the hospital at postoperative day seven without any complication. MG is a rare disease and may cause morbid complications during the cardiac surgery, but can be successfully managed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Meram Medical School, Selç University, Konya, Turkey. cunarin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Cüneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Narin
authors.forename: Gamze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sarkilar
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tanyeli
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ege
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeniterzi
mesh_terms: D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*