It will be impossible for your brain to communicate with itself
Your brain won’t just be unable to communicate with the nerves transmitting signals from your muscles, organs, and extremities, but also with itself. The signals become calm and organized, and their unpredictable behavior stops.
Your body responds by calming down as well. Your respiration and pulse rate normalize, and according to scientists, your brain no longer exchanges messages with itself. This is good since you must be in a completely calm state of mind for the procedure to be performed within normal parameters.
You will experience breathing issues if the stomach isn’t empty
Another thing that might happen during anesthesia is that you can have issues breathing properly if your stomach isn’t empty. Now, you probably understand why all the surgeons advise us not to eat or drink anything before the procedure.
Someone who is under anesthesia is unable to cough, protecting their airway from stomach contents getting into their lungs. Additionally, a full stomach can cause pneumonia by allowing its contents to enter the lungs.
In case you had to eat or drink after the hours they specifically advised you not to, discuss this matter with your doctor!
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My experience after open heart surgery was that I remained unconscious for almost 2 days. It was declared that I suffered a stroke and would be partially paralyzed on the left side if I did recover. I awakened and had no ill effects. The neurologist had never taken any tests and was totally wrong to make that diagnosis causing my family pain and anguish.
Unfortunately, I was one of those patients who woke up but my body was still asleep… The neurological connection from the brain apparently took a long hot minute to finally connect for my body to start working again. Rather frightening feeling realizing I was in a comatose state but fully awake unable to move any part of my body. The information in this article was very helpful for me to connect all the dots. Can anesthesia do harm to your brain?
There is also a possibility during the brain “reset” that patients come out “changed” or different. Rod Steiger, a famous actor known for his role in the movie”In The Heat Of The Night”, alleged that he was no longer the same person after anesthesia. Be that as it may, I have a brother-in-law who swears that his father somehow went from a stern, serious and stoic man to a gadfly and somewhat clownish guy after a heart procedure. My brother-in-law grilled me about my heart procedure and noted that I didn’t seem to change at all while his father was now a different person. I had seen Rod Steiger in an interview and didn’t put much thought into it until my brother-in-law complained about his father.
Quite interesting…
While under general anesthesia for a deviated septum, I woke up mid surgery, listening to the doctor and nurses. I then spoke, asking a question not related to the surgery, and then they put me back under. There was no pain either. It wasn’t discussed afterward.
I’ve had some emergency surgeries that saved my life. I was fine. Mostly, I think I scared the doctor, but he only lost it after he finished his calm objective excellent surgery. Interestingly right before going into surgery I told the doctor I was confident he would save me and he said “Let’s go save your life”—so I think this is a great attitude, because the mind affects the body and the outcome of surgery is always better if all concerned expect a positive outcome.
Helpful information and educational
Thank you so much.
YOU ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF IT AND SLEEPING AND RESTING OUT OF CONTROL AND IN SLEEPING SOMBERLY AT THE HANDS OF THE DRS. AND ANESTHETICS AND PROFONAL AND DRUGGED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE DR. AND THE MED TEAM AND YOU HOPE AND PRAY YOU WAKE UP AND ACHIEVE NOTHING TO REMEMBER AND THE PAIN WILL BE LESS WE ALL PRAY AND THAT IS WHAT I CAN BE GROGGY AND OUT OF IT AND WAIT TILL THE FEELING SUBSIDES BEFORE LEAVING BY LAW SO THE HOSP STAFF ARE PERMITTED TO LET YOU LEAVE BY RIGHTS
I have been put under several times and have never had a bad effect, thank the Lord. I’ve had ether as well as more recent types of antesethics.
Years before I married my wife who was a surgical RN I told her I loved her during the time they started the anesthesia. I guess the body knows LOL!!
People with dementia/alzhiemers will lose brain functioning on a permanent basis.
This is a hazard that I have never seen or heard of being part of the pre-surgery discussions.
Killing cells in your brain should be the paramount concern for anybody who is considering a surgery for themselves or a loved one.
1985
Getting 4 impacted wisdom teeth out.
It was my 5th year in the U.S.AIRFORCE.
The dental sergen was a 2nd Lt. This was her 2nd removal of impacted wisdom teeth!!! I was in the chair and anesthesia was done I was out cold!!!
2 teeth removed and I woke up. Trying to tell everyone in the room I was awake. With. Tools an cotten in my mouth. The young Lt sergen’s eyes went very wide and I looked her rite in the eyes. They pushed more liquid into I.v. in my arm. After all 4 were out I was awake & the young officer asked if I remembered anything during the procedure. I told her I woke up yelled and looked her rite in the eyes. She told me it happens some times but no danger and I should not be able to remember anything. Ha news for all I remember her eyes as large as wheel hub on an A10A wheel.
I had Basal Cell Carcinoma surgery in my right ear in early April. For that one I only had a very local anesthetic. A week later I had reconstructive surgery with a full anesthetic. The only thing I noticed was that my throat and lips were extremely dry. The right side of my face was swollen and for a very short time I couldn’t clearly see out of my right eye. This was all expected, so it was no surprise. But I was uncomfortable since I couldn’t have a bowel movement for several days. Once everything started to work, then I am now in the process of letting it heal. I did not experience any of the symptoms described in the previous article. I was awake, then not awake, and then awake again. I don’t remember anything from the time I went under until I woke up again. They gave me several days supply of Oxycodone, but I had to stop taking my tramadol, that I take for arthritis. So everything is now beginning to heal. The ear, well the outside part is gone, but I also knew that. The tumor was so large that they couldn’t recreate anything resembling a normal ear. At almost 74, that is the least of my problems. I hate hats and always have, but I will have to get used to wearing them outside. All in all everything went fine.
I was pregnant and went for a scheduled OB visit when I had to be admitted on an emergency basis. I then had an emergency c-section. When I was awakened I could not breathe and thought I was drowning. The article says if your stomach isn’t empty before anesthesia you can have breathing problems. It’s very possible I ate before my OB visit since I was not expecting to deliver that day but if I recall correctly I remember the Dr. saying I had a collapsed lung. This was 30 yrs ago.
Interesting….
Very interesting. Thank you.
I opted for twilight sleep for both my total one replacements ! no Anesthesia woke up both times near end of surgery and said give me some more juice . woke up immediately after surgeries feeling not at all groggy and weird . Dr advised great for older folks and no headaches or ill feelings
What happens if your in your 70’s and 80’s? Are there times you should not get general anesthesia?
Can or does a man have an erection when he is under anesthesia ? why I ask ? i believe i did…
Thanks
Nothing mentioned about the reduction of oxygen going to the brain or possible effects in might have.
Great info. Thanks. God bless.
If one is 79 years old and because the first surgery was done wrong and one had to go under anesthesia again for correction, and it was only two months later, could this cause memory loss, or even dementia, and could the dementia be permanent ?
I had so many surgeries under anesthesia…. 3 C-sections, 2 Carpal Tunnels, another to fix an adhesion, and several bone reconstruction after a car accident. I heard the doctors talking about moving organs, their comments, but I was also in another world, saw and talked to my grandmother who passed away and other people I did not recognize. I also saw
people eating n the hospital cafeteria.
This was a great feeling! Like falling into space,ofr floating in warm water!
Never. I trusted my doctors. Had them for years. If I had to go I guess this would be the way! had any
I woke up in the middle of a C Section being performed, reached up and unconsciously pulled the tube out of my mouth. I hear this is an extremely rare event. However I have a younger sibling {male} under go surgery and 24 minutes in he woke up .. must be something in our genetics according to research.
I have had anesthesia several times! 100, 99, 98 – lites out! Never experienced any of the above! maybe I did and didn’t even realize it! this was interesting read though
My daughter has been anesthesiologist for 17 years and my mother in law as well. Both say very rewarding career. Very interesting article
I woke up during a procedure to check my esophagus. The Dr and nurse were yelling at me because I was fighting the tube going down my throat. I was scared and unable to move or tell them I was awake and they were yelling at me 😡 This was not my first procedure like this but I knew enough to know yelling at a patient that is supposed to be unconscious is just mean! The second procedure with the same Dr was just as unpleasant. He was supposed to be a good Dr. But he didn’t realize I had done my research and knew he had lied to me. I didn’t say anything to him right then as he was doing at least 25 or more procedures at the same place so I knew he had little time to discuss what he had said to me. He never called me or tried to schedule me for another appointment because he knew he had not diagnosed my issue. So I went online and gave him a bad review. My two experiences with this man were so unpleasant I had enough of his so called practicing medicine on me. He was not a compassionate person and failed to discuss either incident with me. That rates as failure to help me.
“Anesthesia” comes from Latin “an-“ (without) and “-thesia” (feeling, or sensation). A basic tenant of Medicine is “use the smallest does of a drug to achieve the needed result”. If an anesthesiologist uses too little drug then the patient may move, or regain consciousness. This is sometimes called “OK OK anesthesia”, because the surgeon will say “He’s moving!!” and the anesthesiologist will say “OK!!! OK!!!” 🙄
Sometimes amnesia is more important than anesthesia. If a procedure hurts but the patient has no memory of it… no harm/no foul. It’s that “tree/forest” thing. Proprofol is called “milk of amnesia” because it looks like milk and although it does nothing to control pain it is sometimes the only drug used for brief painful procedures
Hi Neil, please don’t react to an itsy-bitsy correction: NOT “tenant” but TENET, FYI. Not a smart-Alec here, a long career as a Spanish/English translator has morphed me into an intolerant vocabulary Vigilante 🤣. Re: the anesthesia information, I am among the very fortunate surgery patients to not have experienced any adverse symptoms or consequences. I have—however—awakened from surgery light as a feather and exuberant. Thank you for sharing your experience in this science platform.
Excellent! Thank you. ~Judy Cross
An informative eye opening read!!
I have had anesthesia many times. One time I was given Ketamine which I had never had before. I’m sure I was way overdosed just to set a broken wrist. I was hallucinating and my arms and legs were bouncing up and down in unison on the table as the anesthesiologist or anesthetist was holding my right arm down and telling me to relax. All of this took place as I was coming out of the anesthesia. I’ve also had trouble with a colonoscopy. Some people don’t know how to administer anesthesia to people that only need a small amount. At other times I have been awake right away and coherent. Congratulations to those that listen to the patient. Very interesting article.
This was very informative. I would say avoid surgery at all costs if possible.
While under general anesthesia during knee replacement surgery, I awoke to a loud banging sound. I realized that the sound was coming from the Dr’s. banging the replacement into place. I didn’t feel any pain so I said nothing. One of the surgeons saw that I was awake and asked if I was in pain. The next thing I knew, I was “coming to” in the recovery room. Also, I’m always nauseous after surgery. I even vomited on my newborn son after a caesarean section. It was my first time holding him.
Extremely informative!