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General anesthesia is a combination of drugs that put the patient into a state of sleep before surgery or other medical procedures, and usually intubation to help maintain breathing. No pain is felt under general anesthesia. Usually, a combination of intravenous drugs and inhaled gases (anesthetics) are used. When is general anesthesia most often used?
General anesthesia – indications
Depending on the type of surgery or procedure, doctors decide whether general or local anesthesia will be used. During general anesthesia, the brain does not perceive any signals, so the patient cannot feel or hear anything. Other forms of anesthesia are local (small area) or regional (large body) anesthesia.
General anesthesia is associated with the highest risk of complications.
General anesthesia – awareness of anesthesia
It is estimated that about 1-2 people in 1000 may wake up partially during general anesthesia and experience so-called unintentional intraoperative awareness. Feeling is very rare, but it is also possible.
Because of the muscle relaxants given before surgery, people cannot move or speak to inform doctors that they are awake or in pain. In some patients, this can cause long-term psychological problems similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.
This phenomenon is so rare that it is difficult to make clear connections. Some factors that may be influencing awareness include: emergency surgery, caesarean section, depression, use of certain medications, heart or lung problems, and alcoholism.
General anesthesia – preparation for surgery
The patient is fasted approximately six hours prior to surgery. He can only drink fluids authorized by the doctor. For at least a week before the procedure, you should not take any available blood-thinning medications, e.g. aspirin. They can cause complications during surgery.
When a patient is ill for diabetes, together with the doctor, he should determine what medications to take on an empty stomach. People with sleep apnea will need to be carefully monitored during the procedure.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, please consult your doctor. In these cases, the anesthetist must carefully monitor your breathing during and after surgery.
- Find out how to reduce the risks associated with anesthesia
General anesthesia – behavior after the procedure
After the operation is completed, the anaesthesiologist is responsible for waking the patient up and administering appropriate medications. We may feel confused when we wake up. In addition, undesirable symptoms that can occur after shifting general anesthesia are:
- nausea and vomiting
- dry mouth
- sore throat,
- muscle aches,
- itching of the body
- chills,
- somnolence,
- mild hoarseness.
Side effects depend on the individual condition and type of surgery. Your doctor may give you medications after surgery to reduce pain and nausea.
General anesthesia and pregnancy
One of the necessities of using anesthesia during pregnancy is caesarean section. General or, more often, spinal anesthesia is performed here. The advantage and disadvantage of general anesthesia is its quick action. The downside is that the woman has no emotional experiences related to childbirth. The advantage is because the pregnant woman does not feel any pain. Both types of anesthesia are safe and applied according to the circumstances.
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