“Can anesthesia cause lung damage?”
I will have surgery under general anesthesia. Can anesthesia cause lung damage?
6 Answers
AnesthesiologistAnesthesiologist
No, in and of itself(the anesthetic) the gaseous entity can not, to my knowledge (I've been an anesthesiologist for 35 years) harm lung tissue.
The short answer is no. In general anesthesia is protective in overall. There are many aspects of anesthesia which all work to monitor and preserve all functions including pulmonologic, responsible for optimal oxygenation of vital organs during the surgery.
NO, Generally not. Anesthetic gases are bronchodilators, and hence open up the lungs. If you have existing lung disease, the anesthetic must be planned so as not to compromised the lung during the procedure. If the lungs (and heart) are normal, you have plenty of reserve for GA.