General Anesthesia
Alternate Names : Total Anesthesia
What happens later at home?
After getting home, the person should rest for the remainder of the day.
By the next day, the
anesthesia is usually out of the system. The following day, the pain
from the surgery usually causes more problems than the anesthesia. A person
should not drive for at least 12 hours after the procedure. Some people may
take a few days to feel that they are back to normal.
What are the potential complications after the procedure?
The most feared complication of general anesthesia is death. This
occurs in roughly 1 out of every 10,000 people. It is not possible to predict
who will have this type of severe reaction.
The medications used in general anesthesia can cause severe reactions. These
include:
liver damage
kidney damage
seizures
low blood pressure
allergic reactions
Nausea is fairly common for a few
hours after the procedure. Other side effects may occur, depending on the
medication used.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists recently issued a warning about the
potential side effects and interactions of
herbal remedies with medications used before, during, and after surgery.
The group recommends that a person stop taking all herbs at least two weeks
before planned surgery.
Other complications are possible, such as damage to the mouth or throat from
the breathing tube. The surgery itself may also have complications.
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