Stephanie Kuleba: Autopsy Cofirms Malignant Hyperthermia

Dan Frith

Contributor

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I posted two blog articles (March 28 and 31) on the tragic death of 18 year old Stephanie Kuleba. Ms. Kuleba was more than an hour into asurgery to correct inverted nipples and breast asymmetry when she developed this rare complication, apparentlytriggered by anesthesia.

Dr. Steven Schuster, the plastic surgeon, and Dr. Peter Warheit, the anesthesiologist, called 911 and gave Kuleba the antidote drug dantrolene. There attempts were unsuccessful and Stephanie diedat Delray Medical Center less than 24 hours after surgery. According to the autopsy, genetic testing through the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center confirmed Kuleba died from malignant hyperthermia,ahereditary condition set off by certain inhaled anesthetics. It speeds up the body's metabolism and heart rate, muscles become rigid and a high fever develops. Significantly, about 90 percent of patients survive when treated for the condition during surgery.

Kuleba's parents have contended Schuster's Boca Raton, Floridaoffice was ill-prepared to care for the teen once the life-threatening symptoms appeared. We will follow this story as it develops.