Tapia's Syndrome after Corrective Jaw Surgery under General Anesthesia: A Case Report

Abstract

<strong><em>Introduction:</em></strong><br />Tapia's syndrome is a rare complication of recurrent laryngeal and hypoglossal nerve paralysis due to anesthetic airway mismanagement or malpositioning of the patient's head during surgery.<br /> <br /><strong><em>Case Report:</em></strong><br />Here we present a case of Tapia's syndrome in a 22-year-old male after corrective jaw surgery under general anesthesia, with a long period of recovery, related to airway management procedures and/or overstretching of the neck during positioning for surgery.<br /><strong> </strong><br /><strong><em>Conclusion:</em></strong><br />Although it is a rare condition, every surgeon should be aware of Tapia's syndrome in order to consider the correct positioning of the head and endotracheal tube during surgery and avoid this complication.