Table 4.
Characteristics of claims for central ischemic neurologic injury during shoulder surgery in the beach chair position*
| Factor | Number (%) |
|---|---|
| Age (years), mean ± SD | 52 ± 6.5 |
| Male | 4 (44) |
| ASA physical status 1–2 (generally healthy) | 6 (67) |
| Preoperative conditions | |
| Chronic hypertension | 3 (33) |
| Elevated preoperative blood pressure | 2 (22) |
| Obesity | 6 (67) |
| Vascular abnormality | 4 (44) |
| Anesthetic/surgical management | |
| Lower extremity blood pressure cuff | 2 (22) |
| Intraoperative hypotension (intentional or not) | 5 (56) |
| Liability (n = 8) | |
| Anesthesia payment was made† | 6 (75) |
| Median payment (2015 USD)† | USD 718,250 |
| Payment range | USD 123,950–USD 2,622,000 |
*N = 9 unless stated otherwise; missing data excluded; †claims paid and median payments include payments by anesthesiologist and anesthesiologist’s corporation; claims included no information on payments by surgeons; ASA = American Society of Anesthesiologists.