Table of contents:
- What happens to the body under general anesthesia
- 1. The brain will "sleep"
- 2. It will be difficult to breathe if the stomach is not empty before the operation
- 3. You may not be completely asleep
- 4. Blood pressure can drop if you estimate your weight incorrectly
- 5. Experiencing side effects
During major surgery, such as heart surgery or brain surgery, you will be under general anesthesia until you become unconscious. The goal is so that you do not feel pain and cannot move, which might endanger the procedure. You will only wake up when the operation is complete. So, have you ever wondered, what exactly happens when you are under a total drug addiction?
What happens to the body under general anesthesia
1. The brain will "sleep"
As soon as you receive the general anesthesia, the brain will begin to "die" so that you are completely unconscious as if you were sleeping. You think you only slept for a moment, even though the operation may have taken a while.
Jennifer Kollman, MD, a director of anesthesia at UC Health Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado, explains that the effects of the anesthetic act directly on the part of the cerebral cortex, which is the center of thinking and brainstem areas associated with self-awareness.
That's why your breathing, heart rate, and body reflexes become slower as soon as you wake up because your brain is just starting to wake up from its "sleep". This drunken effect will disappear over time until the rest of the anesthetic in the body is completely depleted.
2. It will be difficult to breathe if the stomach is not empty before the operation
Doctors generally recommend that you fast before surgery, starting from about 8 hours beforehand. It is devoted to keeping your general anesthesia working properly.
Because the anesthetic will temporarily “kill” all the organs and nerves of the body, food waste in the stomach can flow back into the lungs because the gastric ring muscles cannot hold the flow. In a fully conscious state, you can cough reflex to expel stray food into the airway. But when you are under general anesthesia, you may not even notice the food coming back.
Food that travels into your airways and becomes trapped in your lungs can be harmful to your health.
3. You may not be completely asleep
Reporting from the Mayo Clinic page, at least one to two people are still semi-conscious even though they have been given general anesthesia. How can? According to James D. Grant, MD, MBA, chairman of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and chair of the anesthesiology department at Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak, there are many reasons for this phenomenon.
It may be because the patient's condition is unstable, or because the dose of the anesthetic is lower than it should be so that the effects wear off more quickly. Even so, you may not be able to do anything if you wake up during surgery, especially to simply tell the doctor and medical team that you have woken up.
The reason is, the muscle relaxing effect that results from general anesthesia still makes it difficult for you to move and speak. This does not rule out long-term effects, such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, and nightmares. Even worse, it can have an impact on psychological problems similar to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
4. Blood pressure can drop if you estimate your weight incorrectly
Before surgery, the doctor will measure the dose of total anesthesia according to the results of your weight scales. Then you should give accurate information about your weight.
If your doctor mistakenly prescribes an anesthetic dose for you, the possible impact will be a decrease in blood pressure and weight gain after surgery.
If you are unsure of your weight, there is nothing wrong with weighing it first before informing your doctor.
5. Experiencing side effects
Not much different from drugs in general, general anesthesia can also cause side effects. However, this does not automatically apply to everyone. The side effects can also vary, including being slow to wake up, chills, to post-operative nausea and headaches.
Side effects can occur due to how the anesthetic works and affects your brain and body organs. But not to worry, this condition will generally only last for a few hours after surgery. Make sure you always discuss any problems and complaints you feel with the doctor who treats you.
