Anesthesia and Long-Term Effects
Question: I had a mild case of polio. My parents were told I’d have no after-effects. At age 60 a neurologist discovered damage in my upper back muscles. Over the years, I’ve had quite a bit of surgery involving anesthesia. I noticed some permanent differences in my memory after one surgery that lasted several hours. I was a college professor and found it harder to learn students’ names. I can no longer do the part of the standard cognitive test that involves repeating back words. I retired at 70, because I was no longer at my peak in my work (as well as having more physical fatigue). It’s gotten harder for me to remember what I read. I’m considering consulting a doctor, perhaps a neurologist, primarily to discuss these symptoms and my prognosis.
Dr. Bruno’s Response: The jury is still out on the long-term effects of anesthesia in anyone, including polio survivors. Anesthesia in older patients can be a risk for long-lasting impairments in thinking and memory. You also have to remember the detrimental effects of trauma caused by surgery on vital organs; for example, systemic inflammatory responses following surgery can cause organ injury/dysfunction including cognitive impairment.
I think word finding difficulty would be a candidate for polio-related "memory" problems affected by anesthesia, for word finding difficulty – especially remembering people’s names -- is not uncommon in polio survivors. That’s why I caution polio survivors not to put credence in the standard doctor’s office cognitive test, which involves repeating back words. Certainly, see a neurologist if you are concerned. Testing by a neuropsychologist may be more enlightening.
These articles (and many others) are listed in the Index of the Encyclopedia of Polio and PPS under the subject of “Fatigue”: