Table of contents:
- Various facts about anesthesia
- 1. Not all anesthetics make you lose consciousness
- General anesthesia
- Regional anesthesia
- Local anesthetic
- 2. Anesthesia is very safe
- 3. The side effects of the anesthetics tend to be mild
- 4. The risk of paralysis from epidural anesthesia is very small
- 5. The possibility of waking up under general anesthesia is extremely rare
Have you had any medical procedures that use anesthesia or anesthesia? For people who have never experienced it, this procedure appears to be a scare in itself. So that you don't get confused, let's find out the following facts about anesthesia.
Various facts about anesthesia
1. Not all anesthetics make you lose consciousness
For ordinary people, anesthesia is considered a procedure that causes a person to fall asleep or lose consciousness. In fact, of the three types of anesthesia commonly used, only one makes a person unconscious. Here are the most common types of anesthesia procedures, namely:
General anesthesia
General or general anesthesia is a procedure that leaves a person unconscious during major surgery. This is done so that you don't feel any pain during the surgery.
Regional anesthesia
This procedure helps block pain in larger parts of the body such as the arms, legs, or below the waist. Usually, this method is done for cesarean delivery procedures.
Local anesthetic
Local anesthesia makes a person experience numbness in the specific part of the body to be treated. Usually, local anesthesia is aimed only at certain parts of the body, for example a dentist who anesthetizes the mouth during a tooth extraction procedure.
2. Anesthesia is very safe
There are many people who are afraid of this one procedure. In fact, this procedure is very safe. The anesthesia procedure is performed by an anesthetist. Usually the anesthetist will use a pulse oximeter to make sure you are getting enough oxygen during surgery. In addition, the doctor will also use a device to make sure the breathing tube that is used goes into the trachea, not the esophagus.
3. The side effects of the anesthetics tend to be mild
Just like other types of medicines, anesthetics also have certain side effects. However, there's no need to worry because these side effects tend to be mild and don't last too long. Some of the side effects that you may experience, such as:
- Dizziness, nausea and vomiting after general anesthesia.
- Sore throat from the insertion of a breathing tube under general anesthesia.
- Mild pain at the injection site, for local and regional anesthesia.
4. The risk of paralysis from epidural anesthesia is very small
According to the anesthetist, dr. Christopher Troainos, in the past, people who had epidural or spinal anesthesia were at risk of paralysis. This is because the anesthetic is put in a glass bottle that was previously cleaned with an alcohol-based solution. The alcohol that leaks into the bottle is what eventually causes paralysis.
Now, due to the rapid advancement of technology, bottles of anesthetic are no longer sterilized in this way. That way, this risk disappears.
5. The possibility of waking up under general anesthesia is extremely rare
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, general anesthesia can cause a person to become unconscious, relieve pain, and prevent body movement. However, if the drugs fail to produce this effect, a person can wake up and be conscious during surgery.
However, this is very rare. The reason is, doctors always reduce this risk by using brain monitoring devices to measure patient awareness. This tool helps doctors to adjust drug doses to keep patients asleep.
In some cases, however, waking up while sedated doesn't always make you feel sick. Some people just wake up briefly without feeling anything. So there's no need to be afraid anymore, huh!
