Anesthesiologist Questions Anesthesiologist

How likely is it to die under anesthesia?

I am a 41 year old male. I want to know how likely is it to die under anesthesia?

6 Answers

Death is exceedingly rare with anesthesia, and when it occurs, it is usually due to a blatant surgical mishap (transecting a major blood vessel), or due to some premorbid condition in the patient (severe coronary artery disease, malignant hypertension, etc.). If you are of normal height and weight having a simple outpatient surgery and have no significant medical problems, then the chances of your dying is zero.
If you are healthy, unlikely.
Just as likely as to be hit by lightning
Extremely rare
The risk of dying in the operating theatre under anesthetic is extremely small. For a healthy person having planned surgery, *around 1 person may die for every 100,000 general anesthetics given*. Brain damage as a result of having an anesthetic is so rare that the risk has not been put into numbers.
For a healthy young individual of your age, the likelihood of death under anesthesia is very, very low. In older individuals with multiple medical conditions, there is a low possibility of death under anesthesia especially if it is a major surgery.

Sincerely.