[Anesthetic management with continuous epidural buprenorphine of a patient with dystrophia myotonica].

We report an anesthetic management of a 45 year-old female patient with dystrophia myotonica who was scheduled for abdominal total hysterectomy. The patient was diagnosed as dystrophia myotonica 8 years ago. Epidural catheterization was performed through Th12-L1 interspace and spinal anesthesia was performed through L2-3 interspace using 3.3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. Adequate block below Th5 level was obtained. The intraoperative course of anesthesia was uneventful. Moreover, the continuous epidural administration of buprenorphine gave a satisfactory postoperative pain relief and no respiratory depression was observed. Spinal or epidural anesthesia seems to be effective and safe for the patient with dystrophia myotonica.