Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 22, 703-709, Copyright © 1975 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Anaesthesia for Dwarfs and Other Patients of Pathological Small Stature

¹ Department of Anaesthesiology, U.C.L.A., School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024, U.S.A.
² Division of Orthopedic Surgery, U.C.L.A., School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024, U.S.A.

Sixty-nine anaesthetics were administered to 29 patients of pathological proportionate and disproportionate small stature. The anaesthetic course in most cases was uncomplicated. The few complications noted were similar in type and severity to those found in normal size patients undergoing similar anaesthesia and operative procedures. Achondroplastic dwarfs often develop neurological problems due to their bony deformities. General anaesthesia should be given preferential consideration in these patients. Non-achondroplastic dwarfs may have an associated odontoid dysplasia and if the neck is placed in flexion there is a potential risk of spinal cord damage. Tube size for proportionately small children is best estimated from body weight. No definite recommendations concerning proper tube size in dwarfs can be given on the basis of the findings in this study.