“What should I expect during general anesthesia?”

Following instructions from pre operative interview is helpful. Nothing by mouth, including water for at least 8 hours is required to prevent stomach contents going into the lung, known as aspiration. The stomach has a very low pH, similar to a very strong acid. The Anesthesiologist will interview you either a few days before or day of surgery. An IV will be started and all drugs will go through the IV. There may be s skin prep on surgical area may be done in the pre op area. You will see your surgeon prior to going to operating room. You might receive a medicine to relax you, we understand most people are anxious about having surgery. The anesthesia care giver will inject medications to put you to sleep. Either a soft airway or tube in windpipe is used and the breathing is controlled with a ventilator. You will be positioned safely on OR table, most places use warmed air to keep your temperature normal. When you awaken you should had nacotics injected for pain control and/or possibly a nerve block will be done with ultrasound guidence for pain control. Once turning the gas off you will awaken and be groggy and sleepy

You should meet your anesthesiologist prior to having surgery. Your anesthesiologist will explain all procedures, risks, and potential complications and will give you the opportunity to ask any questions before proceeding.

Hopefully a pleasant experience. It's safe under the guidance of a good anesthesiologist

Loss of consciousness and some nausea, dizziness and surgical pain when you wake up

Your anesthesia will likely be administered by your iv. You will be asleep in less than a minute while all of your vital signs are monitored. An airway will be placed in your mouth or in your windpipe to deliver oxygen and your anesthetic gas. The tube or airway is almost always removed before you are fully conscious.

A pleasant experience with no recall as to the surgery and feeling like you’ve had the best sleep in years. It is possible to have some nausea and vomiting afterwards

Hello,

You will meet your anesthesia care team prior to your procedure. They will evaluate you by going over your past medical history. They will give the plan for your anesthetic. They may give you a premedication to calm your nerves prior to going into the operating room. You will be given oxygen to breathe as you drift off to sleep. When you wake, the surgery will be over. You may feel, sleepy, groggy and tired. It is possible you may have a sore throat.

It's understandable that if this is the first time you are receiving a general anesthetic, that you would be nervous. It's important that you get a chance to talk to you Anesthesiologist the day of surgery, and have all your questions answered. As far as what to expect, it really depends on the extent of the surgery itself. General anesthesia means that you will be rendered unconscious for the duration of the procedure. A very short procedure under a general anesthetic is somewhat approached differently than an extensive longer surgery under a general anesthetic. General things that you'll be asked to do is to not eat or drink anything for a period of time. We generally say 8 hours for solid food, and 2 hours for clear liquids. The instructions can vary depending on your general health condition. When you come in for surgery, you will sign an anesthesia consent form which will explain the risks and benefits involved. They will place an IV catheter. A lot of us will use numbing medicine in placing the catheter so that it's not too uncomfortable. Before going back to the operating room, some Anesthesiologists will give you a sedating drug and some anti nausea drugs in your IV. If you have a history of motion sickness, let your Anesthesiologist know ahead of time because you will be more prone to nausea after surgery. I typically put a scopolamine patch on motion sick prone patients prior to surgery. Most folks don't remember much after given the sedating agent. In the operating room, once on the surgical bed, they will put some basic monitors on you and have you breathe oxygen through a mask. You will start receiving medicine in your IV that will render you unconscious. While asleep, your anesthesiologist and/or anesthetist will be with you in the room managing all aspects of your medical care during the surgery. They will also make sure you receive pain medications before even waking up from the general anesthetic. At the end of surgery, they will wake you up and make sure you are breathing well on your own. They will take you to PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) where a nurse will monitor you as you wake up from the anesthetic. Typically most people start remembering their consciousness about 15 minutes after being in PACU. While in PACU, you'll receive additional pain medications or nausea medications as need be. They will make sure your vital signs are stable before leaving PACU. From there you will either be discharged to a step down unit before going home, or to an inpatient hospital bed. I hope that answers most of your questions.

You will meet your anesthesiologist prior to your surgery. That’s when he/she will interview you about your medical history and explain what is planned for your anesthetic and what to expect afterwards. You will then have an opportunity to ask any questions you might have. Once all of your questions are answered, your consents are signed, and the Preop nurse has you ready (changed into a hospital gown, IV placed), you will then be taken to the operating room. Once in the operating room you will be connected to various monitors so the anesthesiologist can monitor your vital functions. These include EKG, blood pressure, and pulse oximetry (a lighted clip on your finger). The anesthesiologist will then instruct you to take a few deep breaths of pure oxygen and while you are doing so will put medicine into your IV to induce anesthesia. It works really fast. To you, it will seem like you were taking a deep breath and the next thing you know you are waking up in the recovery room with a new nurse sitting next to you and the surgery is over.

Depends on the procedure and the duration, anything from very limited side effects to pain with nausea and vomiting potential.

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