“Can an overdose of anesthesia cause death?”

Anesthesia in this modern era of monitoring is extremely safe. By comparison, the most dangerous thing you will do the day of surgery is to drive to the facility. Deaths during surgery are almost always due to pre-existing conditions or issues arising from the surgery itself. Actual deaths attributable to the anesthetics are estimated in the one in a million to one in six million range, which means that there are only a handful each year in this country. The anesthesiologist will monitor your vital signs continuously throughout the perioperative period. They will probably use a 'depth of anesthesia' monitor like the BIS or bispectral analysis monitor which is like an EEG and measures how asleep you are. This allows the anesthesia provider to adjust the level of anesthesia to meet your needs and the surgeon's needs throughout the case. Good luck with your procedure! There are plenty of other things to worry about. Your anesthetic shouldn't be one of them!

I have been pondering this question, because there is not a perfect answer to offer in my opinion.
The individual is worried about an overdose of medication during the procedure, while that is possible, it is also highly unlikely if the anesthesia team are doing what they do on a daily basis. I would suggest that the person have the surgeon ask for an anesthesia consult preoperatively during a less than stressful day, and have the patient list a series of questions that they want answered. That way, the two principals will have a chance to understand each other face to face. That is the best solution for the question about ways to lessen the impact for the anxious patient.
The American Society of Anesthesiologist has a web page that might help:

- <https://www.asahq.org/>

Over the past century, physician anesthesiologists have advanced patient safety through innovative research, science and technology advancements. Whether in the operating room, procedure room, intensive care unit or pain clinic, physician anesthesiologists are committed to delivering the safest medical care that every patient deserves before, during and after surgery.

Even though anesthesia is safer than ever, the administration of anesthesia is a complex and technically demanding medical procedure. It requires a physician who has the extensive medical education (up to 14 years) and clinical training (12,000-16,000 hours) to evaluate your medical condition, recommend an appropriate anesthesia plan, diagnose and treat problems that might surface during a procedure, and make critical, split-second decisions that can save your life.

*Who is in charge of your life?*
You have a right to know. Before undergoing a surgical procedure, you need to know who will be providing your anesthesia and ask for your physician anesthesiologist. Be sure your physician anesthesiologist is aware of your prior anesthesia and medical history, as well as any medications you currently take.

For more information visit *asahq.org/WhenSecondsCount
<https://www.asahq.org/whensecondscount>**.*
*​ ​https://www.asahq.org/whensecondscount
<https://www.asahq.org/whensecondscount>*


I hope this might help in your quest for knowledge and ease your anxiety.

There are always risks to anesthesia, which is why you would undergo an exam by your private and or referring physician and you will meet with an anesthesiologist prior to your procedure to review the plan, your prior experience if any, with anesthesia, risks, benefits, etc. Overdose of anesthesia is rare ( if worried about narcotic or sedative) these are closely monitored and reversal agents are available should they be needed. The vast majority of cases go well

Anesthesiologists always do their best to provide patients with unconsciousness, pain-free, nausea-free anesthesia for surgery, maintaining stable blood pressure, oxygenation, and ventilation, as well and normothermia. Of course, every doctor and nurse caring for you will do their best to insure your safety. Only in the rarest of circumstances does a patient die around the time of surgery and that is usually due to an underlying serious medical condition that could be life-threatening that is
unmasked, or previously unknown (and as such is hard to diagnose and difficult to treat). In the vast majority of cases (>99.99%), there is little or no risk of death from anesthesia. Overdoses of anesthesia drugs may cause adverse effects, but they are usually recognized quickly and treated quickly to prevent any serious postoperative complication. Be thorough and honest about your past history of drug use, medical problems, and surgical history with your anesthesiologist, and your anesthetic care
should be optimal.

Certainly overdose of anything can cause death. The reason there is an anesthesiologist with you during the case from start to finish is to make sure everything runs smoothly. Don't worry, anesthesia these days is quite safe and you will do just fine

Anesthesia in the appropriate setting by a trained professional is safe. I would recommend the next few steps to allay your fears.

1) Is your surgery performed by a surgeon who routinely does these procedures and how many do they do a year?
2) the anesthesia should be provided by a board certified anesthesiologist who does these on regular basis.
3) I also recommend that you call the anesthesia department and speak to the anesthesiologist that will perform your anesthesia. This way your concerns can be addressed and will help with your fears.

Good luck with your surgery.


Dr Ketch

This is an appropriate and frequently asked question- a simple answer is yes - but extremely unlikely because of the close and vigilant monitoring and checks and balances in place - our role is SAFETY FIRST- so you should not worry a whole lot about it -

Dr Belani.

Anesthesia is quite safe. There are good monitoring nowadays to avoid such a problem

Yes, but not with the experienced DOC

To answer the question, "can an overdose of anesthesia cause death", the simple answer is yes.
HOWEVER, anesthesia is a state of unconsciousness that is adjusted to the patient and the surgical procedure. There are no formulas or paradigms that one can assume and "dial in".
An anesthesiologist provides to a patient what they "need". The need is determined by what happens in the operating room, what the surgeon requires and what the patient can tolerate. There is no auto-pilot.
As to your fear, I have no magic bullet to share with you to take it away. HOWEVER, keep in mind that the day you have surgery, that day you are likely to drive or be driven to the surgery center or hospital where you will have surgery, and being in a vehicle is way more dangerous than having anesthesia, and yet you probably get in a vehicle regularly and never give it a second thought.
Life is filled with hazards, but back surgery is done all the time, though there are many types. For perspective, I have provided probably close to 20,000 anesthetics in my career and no one has ever died in the operating room OR under my care. I suspect your anesthesiologist should offer a similar experience. In life, bad things happen and we control very little, but anesthesia care should be overall safe for you.