Intraoperative spasm of coronary and peripheral artery--a case occurring after tourniquet deflation during sevoflurane anesthesia.

A 68-yr-old man with a 9-yr history of hypertension presented for hemiglossectomy, segmental resection of the mandible, and the radial forearm free flap grafting. Intraoperatively, facial artery spasm was observed during microvascular suturing of the radial artery to the facial artery. Simultaneously, systolic blood pressure decreased from 100 to 80 torr and the ST segment elevated to 15 mm from the base line. The possible mechanisms responsible for vasospasm in coronary as well as in peripheral arteries under sevoflurane anesthesia are discussed.