Anesthesiologist Questions General Anesthesia

What are the long-term side effects of general anesthesia?

I'm 35 years old and I'm going to have surgery very soon. Are there any long-term side effects of general anesthesia?

6 Answers

AnesthesiologistGeneralAnesthesia
General anesthesia does not have long-term effects. Complications are another thing you should discuss with the anesthesiologist.
There is no evidence of any significant long-term side effects from a routine single administration of general anesthesia in previously healthy patients.
That is a topic under study currently. Nobody really knows if there is a significant impact on long-term health.
Typically, if you are in good health, there are no long-term effects to anesthesia. Most are very short term and limited to sedation, and at times some nausea, which, if needed, can be controlled with medication. If you have any particular concerns, please check with your anesthesiologist prior to your procedure.
There are no long term side effects of Anesthesia documented for healthy young adults that I am aware of.
I am assuming you are a healthy young person. At your age there are unknown long term side effects of general anesthesia. In the scientific research fields you shouldn’t have any adverse long term effects physically or emotionally. General anesthesia is made up of a combination of drugs. All these drugs are designed to render you unconscious during surgery which is there benefit. You might notice following surgery ( during the first 7- days postoperatively) that you may not think properly. This is normal. These medications are mood altering drugs. With time you will feel normal again, because your body is able to regenerate itself with the right nutrition and sleep patterns. At a young age your body has tremendous regenerative capacity. Live your life healthy and you’ll do fantastic following surgery.