Botox May Cause Surgery Complications

Botox has become a household name. It stands for Botulinum neurotoxin type A and is used to eliminate facial wrinkles and frown lines. Other indications include excessive perspiration, chronic migraine, urinary incontinence and spasms of the eyelids or upper limbs. Investigators have assumed that the effect of Botox is relatively short lived and localized to the region in which it is injected. Now researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital report that rat research shows effects of Botox injections in other muscles. In addition, an interaction between Botox injections and a drug used during surgery to relax muscles might pose unexpected problems. As useful as Botox is for a variety of conditions, patients who may be preparing for abdominal surgery should tell the anesthesiologist about any recent Botox injections.
[Anesthesia and Analgesia, Jan. 2012]