Anesthesia: Interesting facts about general anesthesia & Co.
Whether in a dental clinic, during a gastroscopy or during operations such as a caesarean section : An anesthetic can help you to survive treatments pain-free and while you are asleep. However, many people are afraid of anesthesia or unsure of the consequences. In the following, we explain the process of anesthesia and the possible risks and give you further tips about general anesthesia and Co.
How does an anesthetic work?
When it comes to anesthesia, a distinction is made between sedation and general anesthesia.
In the case of a gastroscopy, a colonoscopy or other short and painless treatments, only sedation is usually used. Here only a sleeping pill is administered, which allows the patient to endure the treatment stress-free.
A general anesthetic is to be distinguished from this. It is characterized as follows:
- the patient sleeps through sleeping pills
- the patient’s muscles are flabby due to a so-called muscle relaxant
- the patient is given strong painkillers
Preparation of anesthesia
In a hospital or dental clinic, the anesthesia department (ancient Greek for “numbness”) is responsible for general anesthesia. The so-called anesthesiologists are specially trained anesthesiologists who are also responsible for preparing an anaesthetic.
Before anesthesia, the patient is thoroughly examined by the anesthesiologist in preparation. Here it is determined whether there are any special risks, such as heart disease or lung disease, which could lead to problems during general anesthesia.
In addition, the anesthetist explains the risks and preparation for anesthesia. The patient should be sober during the anesthesia , which means: Six hours before the anesthesia, no alcohol should be drunk and nothing should be drunk two hours before. Otherwise there is a risk of vomiting during anesthesia. You should also try not to smoke a few hours beforehand.
Procedure: What happens during general anesthesia?
The induction of anesthesia takes place shortly before the operation. The patient is given the various anesthetics through a needle in the vein.
First, the patient is injected with a strong painkiller. A sleeping pill is then given to put the patient to sleep. The drug propofol is used for this. Finally, a drug is given that relaxes the muscles. This is necessary so that a tube can be placed in the trachea in the next step. The patient is ventilated via this during the entire treatment.
A distinction is made between the following stages of anesthesia:
- Stage 1: The patient feels no pain
- Stage 2: The patient becomes unconscious
- Stage 3: Muscles weaken and blood pressure drops
- Stage 4: The patient stops breathing and is now being ventilated by the machine
Are there different types of anesthesia?
With general anesthesia, there are two ways to maintain sleep after induction of anesthesia. Either, after the tube has been inserted into the trachea, a gas, for example desflurane, is mixed into the air which the sleeping patient breathes. This gas causes the patient not to wake up.
Alternatively, the aforementioned propofol is administered into the blood over the entire treatment period.
Both types have advantages and disadvantages and should be weighed against each other with every anesthetic. For example, one argument in favor of propofol is that less nausea occurs after anesthesia, while a gas is metabolized less by the body and the organs are therefore less stressed. The anesthetist decides which anesthetic is most suitable in each case.
How long does it take to wake up from anesthesia?
When the treatment is complete, the anesthetist will slowly “drain” the anesthetic. That means he wakes him up. You wait until the patient can breathe independently and has opened his eyes briefly. Only then is the breathing tube removed.
How long it takes a person to wake up after general anesthesia varies greatly. In most cases, however, this is already possible a few minutes after the end of the operation.
What are the side effects of general anesthesia?
A rough distinction can be made between problems during and after anesthesia. In rare cases, during anesthesia , the patient may not get enough sleeping pills and wake up unintentionally. In addition, in the case of general anesthesia, several medications are given to the ingredients of which one can react allergically.
The drugs also cause blood pressure to drop. Sometimes drugs have to be given to raise the blood pressure again.
In most cases, however, all of these problems can be resolved quickly.
Side effects after anesthesia
The most common complaints after general anesthesia are:
- circulatory problems
- nausea
- tremors and hypothermia
- sore throat and difficulty swallowing
Usually, these after-effects wear off within a few minutes or hours. As long as you are usually still monitored.
10 questions and answers about anesthesia
Questions often arise in connection with anesthesia. Especially when children, pregnant women or older people are affected, there are often uncertainties about an upcoming anesthesia. But there is also often a need for clarification regarding the possible consequences of general anesthesia.
Below we answer ten frequently asked questions about anesthesia and general anaesthesia.
1. How dangerous is general anesthesia?
Many people are afraid of anesthesia. It is a very safe medical procedure.
During anesthesia, problems only occur in about 3 to 16 percent of cases, although these are often not serious. 1
2. How can you die from anesthesia?
One in a million anesthetics causes permanent damage or death to the patient. The side effects of the medication or an overdose of a medication are usually to blame. 1 A fatal course of anesthesia can therefore be described as very unlikely.
3. What is mask anesthesia and what is ITN?
The terms ITN and mask anesthesia describe different forms of ventilation that can be used during anesthesia.
Mask anesthesia is often used for short anaesthesia, i.e. for treatments that last less than 30 minutes. In this case, a mask is sufficient to ventilate the patient. This is a funnel-shaped plastic tube that is pushed deep down the patient’s throat.
For longer treatments, a tube is needed in the trachea. This is called intubation anesthesia and is abbreviated ITN .
4. What has to be considered during anesthesia during pregnancy?
If general anesthesia is required during pregnancy , there are special anesthetic drugs that are particularly suitable for pregnant women. In the case of a caesarean section, an attempt is often made to avoid general anesthesia and instead use spinal anesthesia . A pain reliever is injected near the spinal cord. With this option, the pregnant woman can remain awake but does not feel any pain during the operation.
5. Anesthesia in children – what do you need to know?
Anesthesia in children or infants does not differ much from that in adults. Children are often even more afraid when they have to go into an operating room alone.
It is therefore possible to give the child a sedative some time before the anesthesia. In addition, it is common for children to start anesthesia with an inhaled gas rather than with a blood sedative.
The anesthetist will provide you with detailed information about the risks of general anesthesia in children during the preliminary consultation.
6. What does general anesthesia mean for people with dementia?
Especially in older people and people with dementia , it is possible that the anesthetic will have after-effects in the form of confusion or thought disorders. In rare cases, however, memory disorders can also occur as a late consequence. 2 If an anesthetic is necessary, it should be carried out despite the possible side effects.
7. Dental treatment under general anesthesia – is that possible?
There is also the possibility of anesthesia for larger dental interventions, such as root canal treatments or wisdom tooth surgery. Anesthesia at the dentist is particularly popular with people who are afraid of the dentist. With an appropriate anesthetic, the patient can usually survive the dental treatment completely pain-free – nevertheless, this should be weighed against the risks of an anesthetic.
The costs of general anesthesia are covered by health insurance in justified cases, such as proven fear of the dentist. Otherwise, the price depends on various factors, but is usually in the range of several hundred euros.
8. When can I eat and drive after anesthesia?
When you can eat again after an anesthetic and when you can drive a car again should be clarified with the doctor treating you. You can usually eat a few hours after a general anesthetic. Driving is generally discouraged on the same day.
9. How long does general anesthesia stay in the body?
The drugs used for anesthesia are designed to work quickly and wear off quickly. They are processed by the body within a very short time and then excreted via the liver or kidneys.
Nevertheless, a recovery period after general anesthesia is advisable: Treat yourself to a few days of rest and avoid sports activities, visits to the sauna and excessive heat after an anaesthetic.
10. What is CO2 anesthesia?
A so-called CO2 anesthetic occurs when a person does not breathe enough. This increases the CO2 in the body and the person loses consciousness. Even if the name suggests it, CO2 anesthesia should not be confused with medically applied anesthesia.
