[Anesthetic management of the surgical patients with complete left bundle branch block].

For last ten years twenty three cases of anesthesia were performed in twenty surgical patients with complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) ranging in ages from 58 to 82 years. The CLBBB in these patients included 16 cases of permanent block, 6 cases of transient block and one case of alternative block. Two of these patients had no past history of heart disease, but the remaining patients had hypertension, ischemic heart disease, cardiomegaly, cardiac hypertrophy or others. Transient episodes of CLBBB were detected on the preoperative examination, on arrival at operating room or after the emergence from anesthesia at a recovery room, and some of which were provoked by elevated blood pressure or increased heart rate. A transient CLBBB in the patient changed to permanent CLBBB two years later. Complete atrioventricular (A-V) block appeared suddenly in the patient with alternative CLBBB four months after the surgery. Complete A-V block did not develop during anesthesia and surgery in our patients with CLBBB. Therefore we consider a routine prophylactic temporary pacemaker is not necessary during anesthesia and surgery in patients with asymptomatic CLBBB. However, a temporary pacemaker equipment should be at hand in case of complete A-V block. Appropriate perioperative management of circulatory system is important for the patients with CLBBB because most of these patients have underlying heart disease.