“How long does it take to feel normal after anesthesia?”
I am a 40 year old female and I will have surgery under general anesthesia. How long does it take to feel normal after anesthesia?
9 Answers
It depends on the patient: hours to a few days.
In general, anesthesia would completely wear off within 24hrs. Again depends on what is used, if there are blocks in place and what was used, spinal or other regional anesthesia and if a pump was left in place for pain management.
Dr. J. Arthur Saus
Anesthesiologist
There is no easy and simple answer to this question, as there are multiple chemical agents that provide anesthesia properties. The duration of effects depends on the exact agents that are used to accomplish the state of general anesthesia, and the rates the with these agents are removed from the body, and that depends on the individual clearance mechanisms in each person's body. These mechanisms can be modified by many factors, such as the other medications (or other drugs or alcohol) someone has been using prior to coming for surgery and anesthesia administration. It also depends on individual genetics and intrinsic rates of metabolism or removal of the administered medications from the individual's body.
That depends on your metabolism to clear meds/gases, as well as your tolerance to them. Depending on the type and length of the surgery, you should be lucid within a few hours.
Most of the time you'll be fine within a day.
Boris Yaguda M.D.
Boris Yaguda M.D.
It depends on what you have but for the majority of anesthetics, they wear off after 30 to 45 minutes. Narcotics can make you feel sleepy or sedated for several hours though.
This totally depends on the type of surgery that you're having and what the pain control requirements are postoperatively. Modern general anesthetics are generally out of your system within 24 hours and most of the post-operative effects are due to pain medications and aches and pains due to positioning on the OR table. With laparoscopic surgery, you may have pain in your shoulders due to referred pain from the underside of your diaphragm due to the gas remaining in your belly. Manipulation of the bowel during surgery and the use of interoperative opiates may lead to post-operative nausea and vomiting. Usually you're given antinauseants interoperatively.
Best wishes for your upcoming surgery.
Best wishes for your upcoming surgery.
Hi,
Thank you for your question.
When you receive general anesthesia for a surgical procedure, after the surgical procedure is finished, you are taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for observation and recovery from general anesthesia. The shorter the duration of the anesthesia, the faster is the wake up time in the PACU. But generally it is within the first 30 minutes after the procedure that you will be awake enough to answer questions or to see a visitor, or to ask a question. And you will be discharged from PACU to your room in the hospital , or you may be sent home.
You will be advised not to make any decisions for the next 24 hours, and not to operate any machinery either.
I wish you the best with your surgical procedure and your anesthesia care.
Sincerely,
M. Tabatabai, MD
Thank you for your question.
When you receive general anesthesia for a surgical procedure, after the surgical procedure is finished, you are taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for observation and recovery from general anesthesia. The shorter the duration of the anesthesia, the faster is the wake up time in the PACU. But generally it is within the first 30 minutes after the procedure that you will be awake enough to answer questions or to see a visitor, or to ask a question. And you will be discharged from PACU to your room in the hospital , or you may be sent home.
You will be advised not to make any decisions for the next 24 hours, and not to operate any machinery either.
I wish you the best with your surgical procedure and your anesthesia care.
Sincerely,
M. Tabatabai, MD
All depends on the type and length of surgery. Could be 24 or 48 hrs, or less. Short procedures, you will be okay in 2 or 4 hrs.
