Preventing Complications in Polio Survivors Undergoing Surgery (or

Preventing Complications in Polio Survivors Undergoing Surgery

(or) Receiving Anesthesia

Post-Polio Sequelae Monograph Series. Volume 15 (1). NY: random harvest, 2015.

Dr. Richard L. Bruno

Chairperson, International Post-Polio Task Force

and Director, International Centre for Polio Education

www.postpolioinfo.com

Unfortunately, only a handful of specialists treat Post-Polio Sequelae (PPS) - the unexpected and

often disabling fatigue, muscle weakness, joint pain, cold intolerance, swallowing, sleep and breathing

problems - occurring in America's 1.63 million polio survivors (40 years after their acute polio).1,2

However, all medical professionals need to be familiar with the neurological damage done by the original

poliovirus infection that today causes unnecessary discomfort, excessive physical pain and occasionally

serious complications after surgery. This is a brief overview to inform patients and professionals about

the cause and prevention of complications in polio survivors undergoing surgery.

PRE-OPERATIVE PREPARATION

The pre-operative period is the most important, since it is when polio survivors must establish

communication with the surgical team. After the second opinion and a polio survivor's decision to have

surgery, the patient needs to ask the surgeon to read this article and the references cited. Then, surgical

candidates must meet with the surgeon and anesthesiologist to discuss in detail patients' complete polio

and general medical histories and the problems that will likely arise before and during surgery, in the

recovery room and on the nursing floor. It is also recommended that the polio survivor meet with the

Supervisor of Nursing on the floor where they will be transferred after surgery to discuss likely problems

during the post-op and recovery period.

Lungs. We recommend that all polio survivors have pulmonary function studies as part of their pre-

operative. This is vital for those who had bulbar polio acutely, whether or not they used a respirator or

an iron lung. But, polio survivors who have (or had) neck, arm or chest muscle weakness or have

swallowing problems should also have their lung function tested 3 so there will be no unpleasant

surprises coming off the respirator at the end of the operation. Polio survivors with a lung capacity below

70% may need a respirator or respiratory therapy after surgery. 1 Of course, polio survivors who use a

respirator during the day or at night must discuss their respirator use and maintenance in detail with

their surgeon, anesthesiologist, the nursing staff, and with their own pulmonologist, before admission to

the hospital.

Physical Assistance. X-rays are a normal part of pre-op testing. Because of workers compensation

concerns, many hospital staff are not eager to move or lift patients. Unfortunately, X-ray and examining

tables are built at heights that are convenient for the professional, not the patient. Many polio survivors

cannot step on a stool to get onto a high table, or even pull themselves over onto a table from a stretcher.

Thus, polio survivors must ask for help in transferring. Since most polio survivors have no experience

asking for help under any circumstances, they need to find a phrase with which they are comfortable that

will communicate whatever their needs are. Long explanations about having had polio or PPS or the

specifics of which muscles are weak or paralyzed are not necessary. (For example, a simple "My legs

(arms) are paralyzed and I can't get onto that table” or “I will need help" should suffice). This phrase may

have to be repeated before the polio survivor will be assisted. If the professional replies, "Oh, I bet you

can move by yourself if you try!" or "Don't expect me to lift you," an appropriate response is "I cannot get

onto the table. Please ask someone else to help me or let me speak to your supervisor." A pleasant but

steadfast refusal to do difficult or dangerous transfers is the polio survivor's best defense against injury

before or after surgery.

ANESTHETICS

General Anesthetics. Polio survivors are exquisitely sensitive to anesthetic. It has been known for 50

years that the poliovirus damaged the area of the brain stem - called the reticular activating system (RAS)

- responsible for keeping the brain awake.4, 5 Because the RAS was damaged in those who had paralytic

and non-paralytic

polio, a little anesthetic goes a long way and lasts a long time. For example, the pre-operative medication

used to "calm" surgical patients - sometimes Valium or Vistaril - may by itself put polio survivors to sleep

for 8 hours. (Such excessive and prolonged sedation does occur when low-dose Propofol is used alone in

patients undergoing invasive but nonsurgical procedures, like endoscopy.) Add to a pre-operative

"calming cocktail" an intravenous anesthetic (like sodium pentothal) or a gaseous anesthetic, and polio

survivors have been known to sleep for days. Propofol is the drug of choice for polio survivors. In

addition, polio survivors with respiratory problems may have trouble clearing the gaseous anesthetics. A

number of our patients have awakened from anesthetic on a respirator in I.C.U. to the frightened faces of

their family, surgeon and anesthesiologist several days after surgery.

Here is the first of rule of thumb - we call "Rules of 2" – for polio survivors having surgery:

Anesthetic Rule of 2:

Polio survivors need the typical dose of anesthetic divided by 2.

This first "Rule of 2" is certainly NOT intended to dictate the dose of anesthetic, but merely to remind

anesthesiologists that polio survivors need much less anesthetic than do other patients. This does not

mean that a given polio survivor might require less than 1/2 the typical anesthetic dose, or that another

won't need more anesthetic. As always, the dose of anesthetic must be individually adjusted (for body

weight, lipid space, etc) and be adequate to keep patients under during surgery but not cause them to

sleep for a week. We have found Desflurane to be the best tolerated anesthetic when used with BIZ brain

wave monitoring.

Even applying the "Anesthetic Rule of 2" polio survivors may be very sedated, if not asleep, for many

hours after the surgery. This is one of the reasons why same-day surgery - even for complicated dental

procedures - is not advisable for polio survivors. Sleeping or excessively sedated polio survivors cannot

be expected to return home and take care of themselves after same-day surgery, since surgical

complications may go unnoticed and sedation-impaired coordination makes falling likely. In spite of

insurance company pressure, NO POLIO SURVIVOR SHOULD HAVE SAME-DAY SURGERY except for the

simplest procedures that require only a local anesthetic.

Nerve Blocks. However, there are also problems with local anesthetics that numb only one area of the

body. Spinal anesthetics, like epidural or saddle blocks used for childbirth and lower body procedures,

often allow surgery without the patient being asleep and are therefore more desirable for polio survivors.

However, the injection of a local anesthetic near the spine results in both pain-conducting nerves and

motor neurons being anesthetized. Polio survivors are very sensitive to anything that further impairs

their poliovirus-damaged motor neurons and a spinal anesthetic may cause polio survivors to be

paralyzed for many hours. If a spinal anesthetic is used, polio survivors cannot be expected to get up and

walk after surgery. Curare-like drugs that are intended to paralyze muscles (e.g., succinylcholine) are

typically used during major surgery to relax muscles that are going to be cut and make it easier for the

ventilator to fill the lungs while patients are on the table. Again, any drug that interferes with muscle

functioning will prevent polio survivors from walking or even moving for hours longer than it would for

patients who didn't have polio.

Regardless of whether a local, spinal or general anesthetic is used, the following applies:

Post-Anesthetic Rule of 2:

Polio survivors require 2 times as long to recover from the effects of any anesthetics.

Blood and Guts. There are yet additional concerns. Polio survivors with muscle atrophy, especially in the

thigh muscles, will have a smaller blood volume than would be expected for their height or weight.

Therefore, bleeding during surgery may be more of a problem. Polio survivors may want to bank their

own blood slowly over the course of weeks, even for procedures where excessive blood loss is not

typically expected. However, since polio survivors may be significantly more fatigued and prone to faint

after giving blood, relative's blood may need to be banked instead. Also, polio survivors can be sensitive

to atropine-like drugs used to dry secretions during surgery. 6 Atropine-like drugs also slow the gut, and

polio survivors may be excessively constipated after surgery or, in some cases, actually have their

stomachs and intestines stop moving (gastroparesis; paralytic ileus) for a period of time. These problems

can be treated symptomatically as they would in someone who did not have polio.

Positioning. One overlooked problem is the positioning of the post-polio patient on the operating table.

Muscle atrophy, scoliosis and spinal fusions may make certain positions problematic, especially those

involving extension of the spine. Since the polio survivor is usually unconscious during positioning, there

will be no report of pain that would normally warn of potential damage. A number of polio survivors have

experienced severe back pain for months post-op, and even permanent traction injuries of nerves,

after being placed for hours in damaging positions. It would be advisable for the patient to be awake

during positioning on the table to prevent such post-op complications.

POST-OPERATIVE CARE

Cold. If the dose of anesthetic is carefully regulated, a polio survivor's first post-op experience will be

waking in the recovery room. Often, polio survivors awaken from anesthetic shivering violently. Research

has shown that polio survivors are extremely sensitive to cold because they have difficulty regulating

their body temperature. Polio survivors' automatic (autonomic) nervous systems were damage by the

poliovirus from the brain (hypothalamus) through the brain stem (reticular formation and vagal nuclei)

to the spinal cord (intermediolateral columns). 4-8 Polio survivors cannot control the size of their blood

vessels, since the nerves that make the smooth muscle around veins and capillaries contract were

paralyzed by the poliovirus. Therefore, polio survivors' blood vessels open under anesthetic and dump

the heat of their warm blood into the cold recovery room. Recovery room nurses need to know about

this problem and help polio survivors stay warm. Additional blankets will help, and the surgeon can even

write an order for a heated water blanket to be used in recovery.

Vomiting. Another post-op problem related to brain stem damage is vomiting. As in anyone who

receives a general anesthetic, polio survivors can develop nausea and vomit. However, polio survivors

are more apt to faint (have vasovagal syncope and even brief asystole’s) when they attempt to vomit. 6 It

is very important that post-operative emetic control be discussed with the anesthesiologist and

administered before polio survivors go to the recovery room and that additional medication is written as

needed in the post-op orders.

Choking. Yet another concern is difficulty swallowing as the patient is awakening. 9 Polio survivors who

are aware of having swallowing problems, and sometimes in those without apparent swallowing

difficulty, cannot clear secretions and may choke (or feel like they are choking) when they are lying on

their backs, still half asleep, as the anesthetic is clearing. Polio survivors' secretions need to be monitored

in the recovery room and they should be positioned on their side if possible so that secretions can drain.

Pain. The single most troublesome problem after surgery is pain control. A number of studies have

shown that many surgical patients are under medicated for pain. Under medication is a serious problem

for the post-polio patient since two research studies have shown that polio survivors are twice as

sensitive to pain as those who didn't have polio. 8 Increased pain sensitivity is apparently related to

poliovirus damage to endogenous opiate-secreting cells in the brain (Para ventricular hypothalamus and

periaquiductal gray)and spinal cord (Lamina II of the dorsal cord). 4,8

Rule of 2 for Pain:

Polio survivors need 2 times the dose of pain medication for 2 times as long.

Since polio survivors are known to be extremely stoic

and very unlikely to abuse or become dependent upon narcotics.

RECOVERY

In keeping with the "get 'em up, move 'em out" trend in medicine, there will be the tendency to get polio

survivors up and walking almost immediately after surgery. This is not advisable for a number of reasons.

When polio survivors reach the nursing unit, they may still be twice as sedated from the anesthetic as are

other patients. Since polio survivors need a very clear head to be able to control their weakened, polio-

affected muscles to stand and walk, a fuzzyheaded polio survivor is at serious risk for falling. Even if a

polio survivor's head is clear, the anesthetic or other drugs may have temporarily weakened or even

paralyzed the muscles needed to stand and walk. What's worse, the surgery may have cut muscles

(especially abdominal muscles) that substitute for muscles paralyzed by polio (it is often muscle

substitution that actually allows polio survivors to stand and walk, even though the muscles that are

typically needed to walk were permanently paralyzed). Not only will post-polio patients be unable to

stand or walk, they may also be unable to even move to position themselves in bed. Polio survivors may

also have low blood pressure after surgery that could itself cause lightheadedness, fainting and falls.

Rule of 2 for Recovery:

Polio survivors should stay in bed 2 times longer than other patients.

Under any circumstances, polio survivors should get up slowly, first sitting up in bed, then sitting with

feet dangling, then getting into a bedside chair with assistance, then standing with assistance and finally

walking with assistance and appropriate assistive devices. With the necessity of additional bed rest, anti-

embolism stockings and medication to prevent blood clots may be a prudent precaution. Gentle physical

therapy in bed may be advisable to maintain range of motion and for stretching, since polio survivors are

prone to developing painful muscle spasms if they are not up and moving.

Rule of 2 for Length of Stay. Polio survivors need to stay in the hospital 2 times longer than other

patients. While polio survivors may become deconditioned with bed rest somewhat faster than others

patients, because of autonomic nervous system damage, the dangers of getting them up and walking too

quickly far outweigh those of moving too slowly. Polio survivors have learned to be very aware of what

their bodies can and can't do. They are the best judges of when they can move, stand and walk safely.

Nursing Care and Nurse Caring. Polio survivors often have difficulty merely being in the hospital. They

may have insomnia, anxiety, and even have panic attacks. These symptoms are easy to understand when

it is remembered that as young children, polio survivors were ripped away from their families and

admitted to rehabilitation hospitals for months or even years. 2,10,11 Post-polio children underwent

multiple surgeries and painful physical therapy, procedures administered often without explanation and

certainly without their consent.

Many post-polio patients have had multiple experiences of psychological, physical and even sexual abuse

at the hands of hospital staff. Questions or complaints about painful and frightening therapies were not

infrequently met by staff anger or punishment. Patients report having been locked in dark closets

overnight when they asked questions, spoke out or cried. Necessary nursing care could be withheld for

no apparent reason. Many post-polio children were slapped and some were actually beaten with rubber

truncheons by physical therapists to "motivate" them to stand up and walk. 10

It is not surprising that polio survivors can be terrified of again becoming powerless patients at the

mercy of hospital staff. Nursing staff's appreciation of the childhood trauma polio survivors experienced

at the hands of medical professionals, and taking a moment to actually listen and respond to the real

needs of the adult post-polio patient, will go far toward making the patient feel safer and more

comfortable during their stay.

RETURNING HOME

There is another "Rule of 2" when surgical patients return home:

Rule of 2 for Work:

Polio survivors need 2 times the number of days of rest at home

before they return to work or household duties.

For all of the reasons described above, the entire recovery process takes longer for polio survivors. It is

not uncommon for typically overachieving, hyperactive Type A polio survivors, who were taught as

children to "use it or lose it," to return to work or household duties the day after they return home from

the hospital.10,11 Polio survivors must be encouraged to rest and to return to activities slowly,

especially if they are somewhat deconditioned and feel weaker or more fatigued post-op. Polio survivors

should ask their surgeon for a note that allows them to stay home from work twice as long as the typical

patient.

POST-OP PPS? The 1985 National Survey of Polio Survivors has shown that emotional stress is the

second most frequent cause of PPS (after physical overexertion).11 Certainly, there are few emotional or

physical stressor more potent than surgery. So, polio survivors should expect some increase in fatigue

and muscle weakness resulting from the combination of the physical and emotional effects of the surgery,

anesthesia, other medications, and bed rest.

However, only a handful of post-polio patients permanently lose function after surgery. Strength or

endurance lost after surgery are typically recovered. To aid recovery, gentle physical therapy may be

advisable. Passive stretching, range of motion exercises and slowly increasing endurance are more

valuable than muscle strengthening exercise which can actually cause muscle weakness. Especially if a

polio-affected part of the body has been operated on (stomach, back, arms or legs), a physiatrist who is

thoroughly knowledgeable and experienced about the care of polio survivors and PPS should be

consulted before surgery so that a post-op rehabilitation plan can be in place. A short stay in a

rehabilitation hospital after surgery (especially after back or leg surgery) may make polio survivors

recovery safer, faster and more complete.

Polio survivors need to remember the:

Rule of 2 for Feeling Better:

Polio survivors need 2 times longer to feel "back to normal" again.

CONCLUSION

All of the "Rules of 2" are suggestions for polio survivors and the surgical team; they are not a substitute

for specific information about the individual patient and communication among all members of the

treatment team, including the patient. All polio survivors must be evaluated and managed according to

their individual needs. Please take the time to read the following references so that you will be fully

knowledgeable about and be able to help meet polio survivors' special needs.

REFERENCES

1) Bruno RL. Ultimate burnout: Post-polio sequelae basics. New Mobility, 1996; 7: 50-59.

2) Frick NM, Bruno RL. Post-Polio Sequelae: Physiological and psychological overview. Rehabilitation Literature, 1986;

47: 106-111.

3) Bach JR, Alba AS. Pulmonary dysfunction and sleep disorder breathing as post-polio sequelae: Evaluation and management.

Orthopedics, 1991; 14: 1329-1337.

4) Bodian D. Histopathological basis of clinical findings in poliomyelitis. Am J Med. 1949; 6: 563-578.

5) Bruno RL, Frick NM, Cohen J. Polioencephalitis, stress and the etiology of Post-Polio Sequelae. Orthopedics, 1991;

14: 1269-1276.

6) Bruno RL, Frick NM. Parasympathetic abnormalities as post-polio sequelae. Archives of Physical Medicine and

Rehabilitation, 1995; 76: 594.

7) Bruno RL, Johnson JC, Berman WS. Vasomotor abnormalities as Post-Polio Sequelae. Orthopedics, 1985; 8:865-869.

8) Bruno RL, Johnson JC, Berman WS. Motor and Sensory Functioning with Changing Ambient Temperature in Post-Polio

Subjects. In LS Halstead and DO Wiechers (Eds.): Late Effects of Poliomyelitis. Miami: Symposia Foundation, 1985.

9) Bucholtz DW, Jones B. Post-Polio dysphagia: Alarm or caution. Orthopedics, 1991; 14: 1303-1305.

10) Bruno RL, Frick NM. The psychology of polio as prelude to Post-Polio Sequelae: Behavior modification and psychotherapy.

Orthopedics, 1991; 14: 1185-1193.

11) Bruno RL, Frick NM. Stress and "Type A" behavior as precipitants of Post-Polio Sequelae. In LS Halstead and DO Wiechers

(Eds.): Research and Clinical Aspects of the Late Effects of Poliomyelitis. White Plains: March of Dimes Research

Foundation, 1987.

International Centre for Polio Education

POLIO SURVIVORS' PRE-OP CHECKLIST

Give list of articles (above) to surgeon and discuss:

1. Pre-op lung tests with measuring of carbon dioxide.

2. Possibly having lower blood volume and blood banking or bloodless surgery?

3. Authorization for a longer stay in the hospital if needed.

4. Orders for post-op anti-vomiting medication.

5. Positioning and cushioning on the table during surgery.

6. Orders for staying warm in the recovery room.

7. Difficulty clearing secretions in the recovery room and on the nursing unit.

8. Orders for increased dose of pain medication.

9. Physical therapy for stretching and range of motion in hospital.

10. Placing articles about polio in the medical chart.

Give list of articles to anesthesiologist and anesthetist and discuss:

1. Any lung problems AND THAT POLIO SURVIVORS CAN RETAIN CARBON DIOXIDE.

2. Lower dose of pre-op calming medication.

3. Using lower dose of anesthetic.

4. Longer-term paralysis of muscles with spinal anesthetic and curare-like drugs.

5. Orders for post-op anti-vomiting medication.

6. Difficulty clearing secretions in the recovery room.

Give list of articles to nursing supervisor and discuss:

1. Longer-term sedation with anesthetic.

2. Difficulty clearing secretions on the nursing unit.

3. Orders for increased dose of pain medication.

4. Needing help in moving in bed and in the room.

5. Not standing or walking until you are fully awake and able.

6. Anti-embolism stockings and anti-clotting medication.

Meet with PPS physiatrist before surgery and discuss:

1. Post-op rehabilitation plan.

2. Physical therapy for stretching and range of motion in hospital.

3. Possible admission to a rehab hospital before going home.

4. Physical therapy for walking and increasing endurance at home.