Fentanyl anesthesia in familial dysautonomia

We describe an effective and apparently safe anesthetic technique based on the use of moderate doses of fentanyl and intensive monitoring for patients with FD undergoing diagnostic procedures, major surgery, or both. Our results indicate that cardiovascular parameters intra- and postoperatively were stable, and the postoperative period was relatively smooth without hypertensive or hypotensive episodes. While we cannot claim that this technique is superior to the other accepted methods of anesthesia, because a controlled comparative study was not performed, it is our clinical impression that the moderate-dose fentanyl technique described provides the basis for safe anesthesia for patients with FD.