Successful administration of spinal anesthesia using Taylor’s approach for in a kyphoscoliotic patient

Abstract

Patients with deformed spine due to scoliosis, kyphoscoliosis, or arthritis (e.g. osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis), pose practical challenges to the anesthesiologist in administration of successful subarachnoid block (SAB). Rotation of spine, limited articular mobility, obliteration of the interspinal spaces, and increased difficulty in positioning the patient, all add up to complicate success by conventional midline approach. We report a case of a patient with neurofibromatosis and severe kyphoscoliosis, where midline approach for SAB was not feasible and Taylor’s approach proved a useful alternative to conventional midline technique.