“Do you stop breathing during general anesthesia?”
I am a 21 year old female. I will have surgery soon and I'm very anxious. Do you stop breathing during general anesthesia?
3 Answers
The depth of anesthesia needed for the general anesthesia may be such that you can be allowed to continue breathing on your own with continuous monitoring of your oxygen saturation and your ventilator status ( amount of CO2 you are breathing out ) . If the anesthesia needs to be deep enough that you cannot breathe on your own , the Anesthesia Machine Will keep you breathing adequately .
General anesthesia is a coma. You don't move, you don't breathe, a machine breathes for you.
Well you didn’t specify the type of surgery you are having so it does depend. Many times we intentionally take over your breathing for you, and other times we keep you breathing on your own. Either way, you are constantly monitored by a professional who is overseeing the surgery and anesthetic, including your airway and breathing.
