Transient involuntary movement disorder after spinal anesthesia: A case report

BACKGROUND Spinal anesthesia is commonly used for various surgeries. While many complications occur after induction of spinal anesthesia, involuntary movement is an extremely rare complication. CASE SUMMARY Herein, we report the case of a 54-year-old healthy male patient who experienced involuntary movements after intrathecal injection of local anesthetics. This patient had undergone metal implant removal surgery in both the lower extremities; 7 h after intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine administration, involuntary raising of the left leg began to occur every 2 min. When the movement disorder appeared, the patient was conscious and cooperative. No other specific symptoms were noted in the physical examination conducted immediately after the involuntary leg raising started; moreover, the patient's motor and sensory assessments were normal. The symptom gradually subsided. Twelve hours after the symptom first occurred, its frequency decreased to approximately once every three hours. Two days postoperatively, the symptoms had completely disappeared without intervention. CONCLUSION Anesthesiologists should be aware that movement disorders can occur after spinal anesthesia and be able to identify the cause, such as electrolyte imbalance or epilepsy, since immediate action may be required for treatment. Furthermore, it is crucial to know that involuntary movement that develop following spinal anesthesia is mostly self-limiting and may not require additional costly examinations.