Alveolar hypoventilation exists by definition when arterial PaCO2 increases above the normal range of 37 to 42 mmHg, but in clinically important hypoventilation syndromes PaCO2 is generally in the range of 50 to 80 mmHg. The management of chronic hypoventilation must be individualized to the patient's particular disorder, circumstances and need. This is a case report of anesthetic management of a 63-year-old woman with central alveolar hypoventilation (CAH) secondary to cerebral infarction. For hip surgery epidural anesthesia with 0.5% bupivacaine was performed and doxapram was applied to maintain respiratory drive. The anesthetic experience with a brief review of literature is reported.