Thairath Summary Young Man Undergoes Nose Surgery, Found to Have Anesthesia Allergy Gene 14 Surnames at Risk Revealed
"Thairath Summary" A young man underwent nose surgery; doctors detected abnormalities and urgently transported him to the hospital, where it was discovered that he had an "anesthesia allergy gene." Social media shared 14 surnames linked to anesthesia allergy, raising concerns among academics about potential medical ethics issues.
General anesthesia for nose surgery
- On 4 Mar 2026 GMT+7, a young businessman underwent nose and chin contouring surgery at a cosmetic clinic in Bangkok, costing approximately 480,000 baht.
- General anesthesia was administered for the procedure. Before surgery, blood tests and medical history reviews were performed with no risk factors identified.
- After completing the chin surgery and just before starting the nose procedure, the patient experienced sudden abnormalities: the monitor signaled a carbon dioxide spike, he sweated profusely, felt cold, had abnormal bleeding, rapid pulse, and high fever.
- At that moment, the anesthesiologist noticed the patient's abnormal signs, alerted the surgeon, and urgently transported the patient to the hospital.
- The patient's wife confirmed he had no known allergies and was in very good health.
Anesthesiologist reveals abnormalities
- The anesthesiologist said that after noticing abnormal monitor readings, they suspected the patient might be allergic to anesthesia or experiencing another condition.
- Although anesthesia allergy is rare, it can be very severe, occurring in about 1 in 100,000 cases. The surgical team stopped the procedure and discontinued all administered drugs.
- The anesthesiologist explained that Malignant Hyperthermia is caused by certain genes in some patients, which makes them highly sensitive to anesthesia, causing muscle breakdown and increased acid levels in the body.
- Having undergone anesthesia in previous surgeries does not guarantee safety in future anesthetic procedures.
- Furthermore, this allergy cannot be detected through blood tests or physical exams before surgery.
Doctors suspect the cause may be genetic
- The next day, doctors informed the family that the patient had acute kidney failure due to waste blocking the kidney tubes, requiring urgent dialysis and a heart imaging procedure.
- While doctors suspect the cause may be related to the patient's genes or heredity, the wife believes it might not be, since the patient had multiple prior major surgeries.
- The patient remains in the ICU with treatment focused on symptom management.
Hospital clarifies patient's condition
- After surgery at the cosmetic clinic, the patient experienced sweating, chills, rapid pulse, high carbon dioxide levels, severe fever, and extreme fatigue, prompting urgent hospital transfer.
- The first hospital found abnormal heart rhythms and the patient became unconscious, so they intubated him and transferred him to another hospital on 5 Mar 2026 GMT+7.
- Upon arrival, the patient was admitted to the ICU unconscious, intubated, unresponsive to commands, with a fever of 39.8°C.
- Doctors treated symptoms and on 6 Mar 2026 GMT+7 confirmed the patient had regained consciousness and been extubated.
- Follow-up exams showed improved memory, though he still could not recall events before hospitalization. Doctors estimate treatment will continue for 3–4 weeks if no complications arise.
Complaint about treatment costs exceeding 2 million baht
- Because the patient was transferred to a private hospital, treatment costs exceeded 2 million baht, causing family concern.
- The family sought assistance from the Facebook page "Sai Mai Must Survive."
- The clinic stated it accepts responsibility and has already paid over 1.3 million baht toward the patient's expenses and plans to continue supporting care.
Doctors reveal 14 surnames at risk for "anesthesia allergy gene"
- A cosmetic medicine specialist explained that Malignant Hyperthermia can be inherited genetically.
- In Thailand, some patient histories are linked to certain families; a list of surnames with reported risk includes Jiuwian, Thippayakraisorn, Petchngam, Intep, Paenkhom, Toddkaew, Charoendong, Photidet, Mawong, Kaentjanso, Prangthong, Onnapa, Klomkliang, and Uynamthiang.
- However, experts clarified that the list of 14 surnames reflects partial truth due to genetic inheritance.
- Diagnosis of this condition does not rely on "surname" as a medical criterion.
- Genetic abnormalities can occur across many families, and the general population may also be at risk.
Member of the Thippayakraisorn family shares a real event
- Over 30 years ago, a family member had a cyst behind the earlobe, drove to surgery alone, and unfortunately died during the operation; the doctor said it was due to anesthesia allergy.
- At that time, Malignant Hyperthermia was unknown, so the family accepted the loss.
- Doctors informed the family that relatives are at high risk and must notify medical staff if there is a family history of death from anesthesia.
- When the individual later needed surgery, doctors warned about anesthesia risks, which caused panic, but assured they would avoid risky anesthetic methods and prepare necessary medications.
- The family was advised to have blood tests to identify members at risk for Malignant Hyperthermia to prevent loss of treatment opportunities.
- Four out of nine tested were found to have the condition, confirming genetic inheritance, though not all family members are affected.
Associate Professor Jessada warns that revealing "14 surnames" may cause medical ethics issues
- Associate Professor Dr. Jessada Denduangboripan, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University and science communicator, stated that publicly disclosing "14 surnames" linked to certain genetic diseases on social media raises medical ethics concerns.
- Such disclosures may lead to "genetic discrimination" and "genetic stigmatization."
- Similar issues have occurred with families affected by genetic disorders, including high single motherhood rates, psychiatric and depression incidences, and discrimination in school admissions or employment.
- Therefore, "genetic counseling" should be provided only to affected family members, not publicly shared on social media.
- Medical ethics regarding patient confidentiality is a fundamental principle worldwide, not just internationally.
- No human possesses a perfect gene. Everyone carries some disease-causing genes.
