It was in 1846, in the United States, that the first general anesthesia took place. William TG Morton demonstrated this to the public by using diethyl ether, a liquid that was used for a long time as an anesthetic before being replaced in many countries by other less damaging substances.

The Canadian Anesthesiologists (Anesthesiologists) describes general anesthesia as “a state of unconsciousness, memory loss, pain relief and reversible muscle relaxation caused by drugs.” This practice makes it possible to perform a surgical or medical act which relieves the patient of pain. 

The anesthesia consultation  

In an emergency, anesthesia can be performed without prior meeting with the anesthesiologist. In anticipation of an intervention, a preoperative clinic consultation is required. This meeting allows the patient to ask all his questions to the medical expert. This significantly reduces preoperative anxiety, a discomfort felt before a medical procedure. A study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing in 2010 found that 85% of 460 people surveyed who had undergone surgery had been afraid of general anesthesia.¹

During the anesthesia consultation, the doctor will draw up your health profile in order to validate that general anesthesia is really necessary. To do this, your previous medical records may be required. The information contained in these files will allow the anesthesiologist (anesthesiologist) to know your medical history and to know if you have any allergies or if you have had specific reactions to certain products, etc. After reviewing your medical records, the specialist may give you a short physical exam. The latter takes into account the different criteria determined by the anesthetist: sex, age, particular physical condition, type of medical intervention to undergo, etc.

The rules to follow before anesthesia

The anesthesia consultation will allow you to know all the details related to your operation. The anesthetist will guide you through the various precautions to be taken:

• Fasting period
• Risks associated with smoking and alcohol
• Medication to take
• Drugs to be avoided such as anticoagulants (e.g .: aspirin)
• Personal hygiene, etc …

It is very important to follow the recommendations of the anesthesiologist, especially with regard to smoking. Smoking increases the risk of respiratory problems following anesthesia. The incidence of heart attacks due to a lack of oxygen in the blood and delivered to the heart is also increased. In addition, tobacco predisposes the patient to infection of the wound during the healing process. Specialists recommend quitting smoking 8 weeks before the expected date of surgery. Thus, the patient considerably decreases the risk of complications, while promoting healing and reducing hospitalization time.

Le Figaro. 2010. “General Anesthesia: The Fear Persists”. In line. http://sante.lefigaro.fr/actualite/2010/06/13/10262-anesthesie-generale-cinion-persiste. Accessed April 26, 2013.