Introduction:
If you have previously been under general anesthesia or are a first-timer, worrying about what may happen after anesthesia is administered is natural, and even expected. If you feel nervous, read on to learn a little bit more about how general anesthesia works will help reduce your anxiety level.
What is General anesthesia?
Simply stated ” General anesthesia is the use of medications for a surgical procedure to make a person go to sleep (unconscious)” or in other words “chemically induced sleep”.
Why my Doctor required me to undergo General Anesthesia?.
- If there are no contraindications, your surgeon may require deep relaxation for your procedure for long periods of time, then you best suited to general anesthesia.
- General anesthesia is required for operations that you are unable to be adequately anesthetized with local or regional anesthesia.
- General anesthesia is required for procedures that you are likely to result in substantial blood loss or in which your breathing will be impaired.
- The treatment of uncooperative patients may require general anesthesia.
Do I need to discuss my health issues to my anesthesia provider?.
It’s important to discuss your health information to anesthesia provider for the better outcomes of your surgical procedure.
Information such as:,
- Any allergies to medications and Foods
- Histories such as COPD ( Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases), other pulmonary disorders, sleep apnea, heart diseases, communicable diseases, liver diseases, and any other medical conditions.
- History of substance abuse such as cocaine, narcotics, marijuana, and other street drugs.
- History of alcohol abuse.
- History of anxiety and depression
- History of prior surgical procedures
- Any issues caused in previous surgeries,
- Family history of anesthesia problems.
- Any issues with your neck and any limitations of movements of the neck.
- History of difficulty placing airway tubes.
- Any chance you being pregnant
- Medications you take every day, even it is herbal and vitamin supplements.
- Any blood disorders, or your willingness to accept the blood.
What kind of medications I received while I am under anesthesia?.
- Medications to calm your anxiety ( Anxiolytics)
- Medications to put you sleep ( Hypnotics)
- Medications to relax your muscles ( Muscles relaxants)
- Medications to maintain sleep ( Inhaled anesthetic or continuous intravenous anesthesia).
- Medications to control pain ( Narcotics)
- Medications to reverse the effect of certain medications (Antidotes).
- Medications to prevent infections (Antibiotics)
- Several other medications to keep you alive during the surgery.
How can I help my anesthesia provider or surgeon to maintain safe procedure?.
The first step for safe and effective procedure is following the preoperative instructions provided by your surgical team. Follow the strict drinking and eating restrictions given by the institution, generally-
- Avoid consuming heavy meals or foods such as beef, fried foods, or unhealthy foods 8 hours before the operation.
- Avoid eating light meals or foods, including toast or cereal, 6 hours before the operation.
- Avoid drinking milk or beverages that contain milk 6 hours before the operation.
- Stop drinking clear liquids 2 hours before the procedure.
- Stay hydrated, unless otherwise its contraindicated (heart failure, Kidney failure patients) you can hydrate yourself 2 hrs prior to surgery with clear liquids.
- Regarding your medication pay attention to changing or discontinuing your daily medications. If you are taking diabetes medications or blood thinners, this is particularly important.
- Taking medications like ibuprofen and aspirin. These drugs can make your blood thinner. Do not take these medications until you are advised to take them by your health care provider.
- Taking medications such as vitamins, herbs, and supplements that are over-the-counter. Do not take these during the week prior to your treatment unless they are approved by your health care provider.
What are the risks involve getting anesthesia?.
Generally safe, but problems can occurs includes:-
- An allergic response.
- Anesthesia awareness.
- Injury to nerves.
- Stroke.
- Dental injuries.
- Eye injuries.
- Abnormal cardiac rhythms.
- Heart attacks.
- Injury to the airway.
- Ventilator dependency.
- Death.
Is there is any side effects for anesthesia?.
Common side effects are sore throat due to endotracheal tube placement and nausea and vomiting. occasionally Hoarseness, muscle weakness, body aches, confusion, Sleepiness, or drowsiness can occur.
After waking from anesthesia, you can also experience other side effects, such as pain. You will be asked about your pain and other side effects by your anesthesia care team. Side effects depend on the kind of surgery and your particular condition. Your doctor can give you medicine to relieve pain and nausea after your procedure.
What happens on the day of my surgery, Why do i need to go different areas for my procedure?
After you registered for your surgery, usually a nurse will take you to an area called the Pre-operative area, there your surgical team will prep you for the procedure. They will ask you to change your clothes to a hospital gown, place an intravenous(IV)catheter in your vein in order to give medications. Also the nurse, surgeon, anesthesia team o through your history again and verify your medication with you. Here you have a final chance to go over your surgical concern with nurses, surgeons, and anesthesia team. The surgical team will obtain necessary consents such as general hospital treatment, surgical treatment, and anesthesia. They may also send more blood works appropriate for your procedure.
After prepping you for the procedure, usually, the anesthesia team will take you to the Operation theater( Intra-operative area) for your procedure. While on the operative bed, the anesthetist will place all the necessary equipment on you to monitor your vital signs, place a mask on you to provide extra oxygen. After giving adequate oxygen, the anesthesia team injects necessary medications through IV, in order to make you sleep, then they place a breathing device( Endo-tracheal Tube or Laryngeal Mask Airway) into you, in order to keep your sleep. After you are under anesthesia surgeon proceed with the proposed procedure.
Meanwhile, the anesthesia team will keep you safe and comfortable by continuing to give you medications and adjusting the amount of medication you get. Also, the team will ensure that the anesthetics do not cause any problems, they control the blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels.
After the procedure is over, the anesthesia team will discontinue all the anesthesia medication you receiving and slowly wake you up then remove the Endotracheal tube. In some instances they may keep you intubated for 1 or 2 more days depends on how well you did during the surgery and transfer to the Intensive care unit (ICU) to continue monitor.
After removing the endotracheal tube, the surgical team will transfer you Post-operative care unit (PACU) there the special team will continuously monitor you while you recovering from anesthesia. After you recover, you will receive the necessary information about surgery, discharge information, and follow-up.
Summary:
General anesthesia is relatively safe, but occasional side effects and complications can occur. Tell your health care provider about your medical history, any operations you have had, and previous anesthesia experience is relevant. Before your treatment, follow the guidelines of your health care provider on when to avoid eating, drinking, or taking those medicines. Planning to make someone take you home from the clinic or hospital.
