Is anesthesia dangerous for a person. risk group for complications. The concept of general anesthesia

Many people wonder: what is general anesthesia, and what consequences does it entail for the human body. Why is anesthesia dangerous? There is no single answer to these questions. However, anesthesiologists still believe that its impact is rather negative.

General anesthesia is an artificially created loss of consciousness. This is necessary for the implementation of complex operations in order to relax the patient's muscles, protect him from pain and make the body immobile.

Fear of drugs

Many patients are not afraid of the operation itself, they are afraid of how anesthesia affects the human body. They are afraid of how the body will react to anesthesia. There were many cases when the patient died from anesthesia. However, the doctor was not guilty of this outcome. The reason is a certain reaction of the body, doctors in this case usually powerless.

Also, patients are afraid of the possibility of getting out of anesthesia right on the operating table. They are afraid that the anesthesia will wear off. This also happened, but the risk of getting out of anesthesia ahead of time is 0.2%.

It represents great danger because the patient may die from pain shock. Feeling all the pain, the person will be conscious, but will not be able to speak a word, open his eyes or move.

It is impossible to say exactly how long a person comes out of general anesthesia, it happens individually for everyone. How long the withdrawal from anesthesia lasts depends on the specific circumstances and the duration of the operation itself. Some regain consciousness in half an hour, while others can take several hours to remove anesthetics.

Mechanism of action

How anesthesia works and whether it is harmful to a person is already being studied. for a long time. It is known that the introduction of anesthetics affects the subcortical formation of the brain, its main function- provide the bark with "energy". Under the influence of anesthetics, this function fades away, the brain slowly falls asleep, and the patient is immersed in anesthesia.

During anesthesia, the reaction of the body to injections and similar effects often remains. This is normal and is taken into account during surgery. During complex operations, the patient is immersed in deep anesthesia so that the muscles do not tighten. The method of anesthesia and its dose are prescribed by the anesthetist in each case.

Possible consequences

Currently used in medicine a large number of therapeutic methods to keep the patient healthy. But often operations are negative impact on the patient, general anesthesia can also provoke serious consequences for the body.

Why is anesthesia harmful? The most common are the following complications:

  • nausea;
  • sore throat;
  • spatial disorientation;
  • small cramps;
  • muscle pain;
  • slight clouding of consciousness;
  • headache;
  • pain in the back, lower back.

Basically, these symptoms disappear on the second day after surgical intervention.

The effects of anesthesia may be more long-term complications:

  1. Panic attacks- they can overcome a person every day, which greatly interferes and knocks down the established rhythm of life.
  2. Local memory loss - there were cases of memory lapses in children, they could not remember the studied school curriculum.
  3. Changes in the work of the heart, arrhythmia appears, the pulse accelerates, increases arterial pressure.
  4. Changes in the work of the kidneys and liver - these organs cleanse the body of various toxins that get inside. Since anesthetics are highly toxic, these organs take the brunt of harmful elements.

Malfunctions of the kidneys and liver rare view complications. If the harm of general anesthesia was so great that it led to irreversible changes, medicine would have found another way to get rid of pain during operations.

Less than 50 years ago, anesthesia could have a negative effect in 70% of cases. Currently, the risk of adverse effects is 1-2%. Death after the use of anesthesia is possible in one case in 4000 operations.

Effect on the brain

The harm from anesthesia and its consequences will not be challenged by any doctor. The effect on the brain leads to a deterioration in memory, attention, and intelligence. Such symptoms express postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

Basically, these manifestations are found in the cores. Memory problems were noted in 82% of cardiac surgeon patients. However, these failures are temporary, they do not last more than a year. Symptoms go away gradually, the further from the day of surgery, the faster.

Consequences for children

How does general anesthesia affect a child's body? Basically, anesthesia affects the functioning of the brain:

  • memory loss;
  • speed of thinking;
  • excessive activity;
  • decrease in the level of concentration;
  • decrease in learning ability.

The probability of destruction of brain cells in children is explained by the fact that in childhood this body is under development.

It is believed that anesthesia experienced before the age of two can greatly affect the development of the child. Research on this is still ongoing, so safe age for anesthesia in children has not yet been established.

Impact on women

Is general anesthesia harmful for women? To judge whether anesthesia is dangerous for the fair sex, one should take into account the position of the body: puberty, pregnancy, menstruation.

During pregnancy, anesthesia is not recommended. Otherwise, it can adversely affect the health of the baby and mother.

Especially dangerous is general anesthesia from the 2nd to the 10th week, at which time important organs child. This negatively affects the development, nutrition of the baby and can provoke various anomalies.

In the eighth month, it is also not necessary to carry out anesthesia. At this time, the uterus and placenta are compressed more strongly, the abdominal cavity is in tension, anesthesia can cause miscarriage, bleeding, premature birth.

After operation caesarean section the following consequences may occur:

  1. Vomit.
  2. Headache.
  3. Clouding of consciousness.
  4. Dizziness.
  5. Muscle spasms.
  6. Spasms of the muscles of the back.

If a woman is not pregnant, her menstrual cycle. It's connected with:

  • Overvoltage. Any anesthetic huge pressure on the human body, he gives all the resources to restore the work of the organs.
  • Diet change. Many operations are accompanied necessary diet affecting the regularity of menstruation.
  • Gynecological operation. Surgical intervention on the pelvic organs disrupts the function of the genital organs for a certain period. It takes time to restore them.
  • Infection. During any operation, there is a possibility of infection. This is also possible after surgery, when female body weakened.

Asthenic syndrome

Most dangerous influence anesthesia on the human body - asthenic syndrome. This is a condition in which failures of the central nervous system, it manifests itself as primary and secondary symptoms.

Primary symptoms:

  1. Apathy, mood swings.
  2. Sleep disorder.
  3. Decreased performance, fatigue.

Secondary symptoms:

  1. Memory deterioration.
  2. Absent-mindedness.
  3. Decreased learning ability.

Asthenic syndrome can manifest itself in the first three months after surgery.

Possible reasons disorders of the central nervous system:

  • Anesthesia lowers blood pressure, causes an almost imperceptible microstroke.
  • An imbalance between neurotransmitters and molecules in the brain provokes death nerve cells.
  • Refusal to take antispasmodics in the postoperative period.

The likelihood of such a syndrome increases with:

  1. Childhood and old age.
  2. stock chronic diseases.
  3. Low intellectual abilities.
  4. Painkiller overdose.
  5. Prolonged stay of the anesthetic in the body.
  6. Severe postoperative trauma.

Video: truth and myths about anesthesia.

Risk group for complications

Conditions that can cause serious complications during anesthesia have been identified:

  • the duration of the operation;
  • elderly age, people over 50;
  • low level patient intelligence;
  • respiratory tract infection.

Patients who do not belong to this list are much less susceptible various complications after operation. The most important thing is the positive attitude of the patient.

Before anesthesia affects the patient, it is imperative to pay attention to his psychological condition and exclude the possibility of stressful situations. Children especially need this, they need the support of their parents. good doctor will help to positively tune in to the operation, eliminating all the fears of the patient.

To reduce the risk of complications, before the operation, you must give up alcohol and cigarettes, remove heavy foods from the diet, and you must also tune in to positive result.

Having found out how harmful general anesthesia is, it turns out that this is a rather risky way of pain relief. However, thanks to anesthesia, thousands of lives are saved every day. This anesthesia allows complex operations lasting more than 10 hours. Currently, anesthetics are being improved to minimize their harmful effects.

Our expert is the head of the department of anesthesiology and therapy critical conditions Moscow Research Institute of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery, Doctor medical sciences, professor Andrey Lekmanov.

1. You can see "the other world."

Anesthesia with clinical death has nothing in common.

2. You can wake up in the midst of the operation.

This topic is discussed with bated breath by anxious patients. In principle, the anesthesiologist can wake the patient on purpose, but he will never do this. He has a different task. And the patient himself cannot wake up ahead of schedule.

3. You can become mentally retarded from anesthesia.

Special tests show that memory, attention, ability to remember ... after any general anesthesia are reduced. This effect lasts from two weeks to several months, but only a specialist can catch a decrease, since these violations are minimal.

4. Each anesthesia takes 5 years of life.

Some children have already received 15 or more anesthesias before the year. Now they are adults. Count yourself.

5. The body pays for anesthesia for the rest of its life.

Like any drug therapy The anesthesia works for a certain period of time. long-term effects no.

6. With each new operation have to apply all large dose anesthesia.

No. At severe burns some children are given anesthesia up to 15 times in 2-3 months. And the dose is not increased.

7. With anesthesia, you can fall asleep and not wake up.

In the foreseeable past, and even more so in the present, all patients woke up.

8. You can become a drug addict from anesthesia.

In 40 years of work, I have seen only one case where a child with persistent pain was mindlessly drugged for three months in a row and made him addicted. I have never seen such patients.

9. After anesthesia, a person will be inhibited for a long time.

No. In the US, 70% of surgeries are performed in a one-day hospital (the patient arrives for surgery in the morning and leaves home in the afternoon). The next day, the adult goes to work, the child begins to study. Without any concessions.

10. After anesthesia, you can fall into a short-term rampage.

Can. But this individual reaction, which at modern anesthesia is extremely rare. Once upon a time, 30 years ago, when it was still used ether anesthesia, the excitement was normal reaction both entry and exit.

Especially a lot of excitement causes the need to use anesthesia, if we are talking not about adult patients, but about a child.

I woke up and I don't remember anything

Formally, patients have every right to take part in the choice of anesthesia. But in reality, if they are not specialists, it is difficult for them to exercise this right. We have to trust the clinic. Although it is useful to understand what doctors offer you.

If we talk about children, today it is considered the norm (in Russia - in theory, in Europe and in the USA - in practice) that any surgical intervention should be performed under general anesthesia. It consists of three components. The first is anesthesia or sleep. In the West they say "hypnotic component". The child does not have to attend their own operation. He must be in a state of deep medical sleep.

The next component is analgesia. That is actually anesthesia.

The third component is amnesia. The child should not remember what immediately preceded the operation and, of course, what happened during it. He should wake up in the ward without any negative memories. Abroad, by the way, patients can sue doctors and win the case without any problems if they received mental trauma as a result of the operation, despite the fact that it could have been prevented. It's not a whim, since it's about obsessive fears, sleep disturbances, attacks of hypertension and chills. There should not be any painful impressions!

Sometimes an additional fourth component of modern anesthesia is required - myoplegia, relaxation of all muscles during "big" operations on the lungs, organs abdominal cavity, on the intestines ... But since the respiratory muscles also relax, the patient has to do artificial respiration. Contrary to idle fears, artificial respiration during surgery is not a harm, but a blessing, since it allows you to dose anesthesia more accurately and avoid many complications.

And here it is appropriate to talk about the types of modern anesthesia.

Prick or mask?

If you want to relax the muscles, you have to do artificial respiration. And when artificial respiration Anesthesia is sensibly delivered to the lungs as a gas, either through an endotracheal tube or through a mask. Mask anesthesia requires more skill from the anesthesiologist, more experience, and endotracheal allows you to more accurately dose the drug and better predict the body's response.

An intravenous anesthetic may be given. The American school insists on inhalation, the European, including Russian, on intravenous. But children still do more often inhalation anesthesia. Just because inserting a needle into a baby's vein is quite troublesome. Often, the child is first put to sleep with a mask, and then a vein is punctured under anesthesia.

To the delight of pediatricians, our practice is increasingly superficial anesthesia. A cream is applied to the site of the upcoming injection of a dropper or syringe needle, after 45 minutes this place becomes insensitive. The injection is painless little patient does not sob and does not beat in the hands of a doctor. Local anesthesia as an independent species to children is extremely rare today, only as an auxiliary component during big operations to enhance pain relief. Although earlier under it even appendicitis was operated on.

Today, regional anesthesia is very common, when an anesthetic is injected into the region of the nerve and provides complete anesthesia of the limb, hand or foot, and the patient's consciousness is turned off by small doses of hypnotic drugs. This type of anesthesia is convenient for injuries.

There are also other types of anesthesia, but some of them are outdated, some are used extremely rarely, so it is not necessary for patients to delve into these subtleties. The choice of anesthetic is the prerogative of the doctor. If only because a modern anesthesiologist uses at least a dozen drugs during an operation. And each drug has several analogues. But you do not need to bring your ampoules to the doctor. The law forbids it.

Is general anesthesia harmful? Does anesthesia affect a person? Does anesthesia shorten life? These and many other questions are often asked by my patients. All these questions are, of course, very important and interesting, but, alas, there is no unambiguous answer to them. Only one thing is true: anesthesia is more harmful than helpful; anesthesia shortens the patient's life rather than prolongs it.

After the fact, any anesthesiologist can always determine for himself how anesthesia went for the patient: good or bad. Well, this is when everything went as usual and without any excesses: the heart and lungs worked satisfactorily, and no complications of anesthesia developed. The anesthesia went badly - this is when something went wrong - either obvious anesthesia complications developed, or during anesthesia there were serious changes in the work of the heart or lungs, which went unnoticed by the surgeon and the patient, but remained noticed by the anesthesiologist.

If the anesthesia went “well”, then we can conclude with great certainty that such anesthesia will not affect life expectancy in any way, although others are not excluded. harmful effects anesthesia on the patient's health, for example, etc. In the case when anesthesia went "badly", it is not possible to exclude its negative impact on the patient's life expectancy.

It is interesting that the anesthesiologist can judge the success of the anesthesia he performed only from the standpoint of the obvious, and then only in a specific time period, limited by the period of the patient's stay in the clinic. That is, the anesthesiologist can judge the past anesthesia only here and now, the anesthesiologist can accurately and unambiguously only say that the patient remained alive after anesthesia or that no obvious complications of anesthesia developed. Unfortunately, Scientific research until they can make a definitive conclusion about Is anesthesia harmful or not?. Although some last works demonstrate potential, and this makes you really think about whether anesthesia is so harmless?

My personal opinion boils down to the fact that anesthesia is still not harmless and not safe. At the same time, it should be clearly understood that the potential harm of anesthesia is hundreds and thousands of times less than the danger that the disease is fraught with if it is abandoned. surgical treatment. Another thing is that probable harm and the danger of anesthesia can always be maximally leveled - for this you just need to trust an anesthesiologist who knows his business.

Using painkillers for surgical interventions ah, it is impossible to predict what the consequences of general anesthesia for the body will be. Tolerability of anesthesia depends on various factors. These include age, gender, alcohol or drug addiction, as well as general state health and chronic pathologies person. One of main danger is that complications in humans may occur some time after surgery.

What is general anesthesia

General anesthesia is a type of anesthesia, artificial introduction of a person into an unconscious state with the possibility of returning consciousness. It is used to block painful syndromes during surgical interventions and various medical procedures. Achieve loss pain It is possible with the help of special medicines, selected in a certain dosage.

The drugs are able to immerse the cortical centers of the brain in a narcotic sleep of various depths. Drugs can enter the body different ways: by inhalation - by inhalation various substances, as well as non-inhalation - in the form of parenteral administration.

The effect of anesthetics on the human body goes through several stages:

  1. Analgesia is a gradual loss of consciousness, accompanied by a lack of sensitivity.
  2. A stage of arousal that some drugs cause. The stage is characterized by short-term excitability of the brain centers.
  3. Surgical stage - total loss excitability and all kinds of sensitivity.
  4. Awakening. Return of painful syndromes, consciousness, motor abilities.

The degree of intensity of each stage is related to the type of specific drug used for pain relief.

Is anesthesia harmful or not for the body? All types of anesthesia, both general and local anesthesia, may cause some changes in the state.

Varieties of anesthesia

The harm of anesthesia depends on its type. Most often, a single use of painkillers does not pose a particular threat to a person.

Introduce the patient into a state of sleep various drugs including drugs and non-narcotic analgesics, anesthetic drugs, antipsychotics. There are several types of general anesthesia. Depending on the method of penetration into the human body, there are:

  1. Inhalation type - the intake of medicinal substances into circulatory system through the lungs by inhalation of gaseous agents. Used in dentistry.
  2. non-inhalation method. The introduction of drugs intramuscularly or intravenously is used less frequently than the first method. This method anesthesia can be divided into:
  • the classic introduction of drugs - recofol, thiopetal, ketamine, - in venous blood leading to deep sleep with the preservation of respiratory capacity and a slight relaxation of the muscles;
  • neuroleptanalgesia is carried out with the help of droperidol, fentanyl. Superficial method of anesthesia, drowsy and lethargy;
  • ataralgesia. Loss of soreness with the tranquilizers diazepam and fentanyl;
  • combined anesthesia. Represents the gradual intake of drugs from various pharmacological groups: anesthetics, narcotic analgesics, neuroleptics, means for inhalations together with relaxants ditilin, arduan. When applied, these substances block neuromuscular impulses, which leads to a complete loss of respiratory ability. This condition is dangerous for children and adults.

Similar anesthesia is carried out with tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation.

The dangers of general anesthesia

There is a risk of not waking up during the operation. Pain relief works in 99% of cases, but in 1% the unexpected can happen. During the surgical intervention, the patient's well-being is controlled by anesthesiologists. who, suspecting something was wrong, take first aid measures.

Another actual question, which many patients ask: is it possible to die from the action of anesthetic drugs? The reaction to anesthesia can be fatal, but with the development modern technologies the probability of a lethal outcome has decreased several times.

Currently medical institutions use various techniques, focused on saving the lives of patients, however, the dangerous consequences of anesthesia are not excluded, in which a significant deterioration in well-being is possible.

The most common complications after surgery are:

  • nausea;
  • pain in the throat;
  • mild convulsive syndromes;
  • disorientation in space;
  • headache;
  • feeling of itching;
  • pain in the back and lower back;
  • muscle aches;
  • slight clouding of consciousness.

Most often, such manifestations occur for a short time and disappear within the first 24 hours after surgical procedures.

During anesthesia, patients may experience some conditions that last for a long time:

  • panic attacks that can disrupt the usual rhythm of life in the form of daily uncontrolled seizures fear;
  • memory impairment. Several cases of memory loss have been established in children who could not remember elementary school material;
  • disorder of the cardiac system, increased heart rate, tachycardia;
  • increase in pressure;
  • failure of liver and kidney function due to the effects of medications used during surgery.

The disorder of the functioning of the liver and kidneys is less common than other consequences.

About 50 years ago negative impact anesthesia was observed in 70% of cases. Currently, only 1-2% of cases of death have been recorded, which is 1 case per 3-4 thousand operations.

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Effect on the body


Before performing surgical interventions, the specialist determines the method of anesthesia, depending on the characteristics of a particular person.
. Adults may experience the following conditions:

  • worsening sleep;
  • hearing and speech impairment;
  • pain syndromes in the head;
  • violation of memorization of elementary things;
  • hallucinations.

These manifestations may disappear within 3-5 hours after the use of anesthetics..

Negative consequences after anesthesia can occur in the form of:

  • suffocation;
  • swelling of the respiratory tract;
  • vomiting, in which vomit can enter the respiratory system;
  • inflammatory processes;
  • cerebral edema;
  • renal failure;
  • disorders of cerebral circulation;
  • asthenia.

How anesthesia affects the human body cannot be said unequivocally: it all depends on the type of anesthesia, duration of use, method of use, as well as individual sensitivity to substances.

Impact on the brain

Anesthesia during surgical interventions affects the brain: a number of patients note memory impairment, decreased concentration, disorder mental abilities. Such complications appear gradually, are temporary and last for about a year.

One of the most dangerous consequences is an asthenic syndrome, accompanied by changes in the work of the central nervous system.

To primary symptoms relate:

  • sleep disturbance that occurs in the form of insomnia or, conversely, deep sleep;
  • depression, mood swings;
  • decreased performance, frequent fatigue.

Secondary, mild symptoms include:

  • feeling of distraction;
  • deterioration in concentration;
  • difficulty remembering;
  • decreased ability to learn.

Most often, such manifestations occur in the first 3 months after the operation.

There are speculations that cause these symptoms:

  • the ability of drugs to lower blood pressure. Anesthesia drugs cause a microstroke, which most often goes unnoticed by a person;
  • imbalance provoked by drugs provoke the death of nerve cells;
  • interaction immune system and inflammatory process. This state appears after surgery when the patient refuses antispasmodics.

Probability asthenic syndrome increases with the following factors:

  • childhood or old age;
  • increased dose of anesthetic;
  • the presence of certain chronic diseases;
  • reduced intellectual abilities of the patient;
  • prolonged use of painkillers;
  • severe postoperative trauma.

Positively minded patients tolerate loss of consciousness more easily, so doctors should provide moral support to patients, preventing the occurrence of panic conditions.

Impact on the heart

In most cases bad influence anesthesia on the human body is observed in people with heart disease.


Before use general anesthesia people with heart disease need to complete diagnostics
, according to the results of which the specialist will assess the general state of health and determine the type of anesthetic.

The means and methods of their administration can affect the heart in different ways: many cores easily tolerate anesthesia, others experience significant unpleasant symptoms, such as:

  • chest compression;
  • rapid pulse;
  • soreness and stabbing sensations in the heart;
  • feeling of heat;
  • slow heartbeat.

Anesthetics act on the conduction system of the heart, causing arrhythmias. Fortunately, such phenomena are short-term, and after a while they are able to regress. However, in some cases, the pathology can remain for a long time or even forever.

Effect on the woman's body

Doctors do not recommend using anesthesia during pregnancy: painkillers are very toxic, and can adversely affect the condition of the unborn child.

It is forbidden to use anesthetics in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of bearing a child: at these stages, the internal organs of the fetus are laid.

drugs can slow down the development internal organs, worsen nutrition, which can provoke various external and internal defects in the child. Also do not use anesthesia in the middle of the 3rd trimester: this can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, uterine bleeding, as well as general poisoning pregnant woman.

General anesthesia during caesarean section leads to the appearance of:

  • nausea;
  • pain symptoms in the head;
  • dizziness;
  • muscle spasms;
  • deterioration in concentration;
  • cloudiness of consciousness;
  • convulsive syndromes.

The negative effects of anesthesia on a woman's body occur under the influence of the following factors:

  • Overvoltage. Any anesthetic leads to an increase in the load on the body, slows down the work of all organs.
  • Changing your usual diet. Some species surgical operations require compliance therapeutic diet, affecting the frequency of menstruation and the abundance of discharge during menstruation.
  • Intervention in the work of the pelvic organs often leads to their failure. In this case, a woman needs time to restore their functioning.
  • During and after surgical interventions, the weakened body undergoes increased risk infection.

Impact on the child's body

Most often, children tolerate anesthesia more easily and quickly forget Negative consequences accompanying the operation, which is a feature of their psychology. Reaction child's body on the introduction of painkillers is also individual, as in adults. Any intervention can affect the growth and development of the child. From negative consequences you can note the appearance of allergic reactions to medications, disruption of the heart.

In addition, anesthesia affects the rate of development of children and impairs the functioning of the central nervous system, therefore, before conducting anesthesia, the specialist compares the need for its implementation with the risk of complications.

What is the danger of anesthesia during surgery in childhood? Frequent consequences are:

  • anaphylaxis;
  • angioedema;
  • heart disorders;
  • coma.

Similar symptoms are seen in rare cases. From late effects cognitive disorders can be noted in the form of:

  • hyperactivity;
  • chronic headaches, migraine attacks that are not able to eliminate analgesics;
  • slowly progressive disorders of the functioning of the liver and kidneys;
  • tendency to dizziness;
  • convulsive contractions of the muscles of the legs.

Cognitive impairments include memory impairment, logical thinking, difficulty concentrating, impulsive behavior. In children early age, up to 3 years, there is a lag mental development, learning difficulties, epileptic syndrome.

To avoid the negative consequences of general anesthesia, it is necessary to fully examine the body before the operation, and after surgery, use drugs that improve cerebral circulation, as well as vitamin complexes.

Many are interested in how many anesthesia can a person endure? Doctors claim that general anesthesia should be done as many times as needed. If there is a question of life and death, doctors decide on the use of pain relief, despite the possible negative consequences in the future.

Why is general anesthesia harmful? This is the question that worries great amount people who are going to have surgery in the near future. There is no exact answer to this question, but many anesthesiologists agree that this procedure more negative impact on the human body.

Main characterizing points

Anesthesia is a condition that is comparable to loss of consciousness, but reversible in nature. This procedure is necessary so that during surgical interventions the patient does not feel a strong pain syndrome. The selected dose of anesthetics is selected individually, depending on the type of operation and individual characteristics human body.

It should be noted that the harm of general anesthesia directly depends on its type. Anesthesiologists use 3 types of anesthetics:

  1. Intravenous.
  2. Intramuscular.
  3. Inhaler.

Many people are concerned about the question of how harmful general anesthesia is and what unpleasant symptoms can occur after it? Most often, after such a procedure, patients experience the following consequences:

  1. Memory disorders. Such unpleasant phenomenon occurs quite often. Memory impairment can be varied, from a single subtle moment to pronounced and regular occurrences. Also, a person's ability to learn worsens and attention decreases. In such a situation, patients tend to be very worried about how long the memory impairment will last. Unfortunately, doctors cannot give a clear answer to this question. It should be noted that memory impairment after anesthesia is most often observed in cases of heart surgery. Studies have shown that within 14 days after such an operation, memory problems occur in approximately 50% of patients. There were cases when these unpleasant symptoms persisted after cardiac surgery for 1 year or more.
  2. Sleep disorders. Some patients experience sleep disturbance after using anesthesia. Sleep can be unhealthy even for several months after the procedure.
  3. Immediately after anesthesia, symptoms such as hearing impairment, hallucinations, headaches, and speech impairment may appear.
  4. Muscle pain and numbness of the limbs.
  5. Chilliness and rather violent trembling.
  6. Vomiting and nausea.
  7. Pain in the throat.

Most of the above discomforts disappear soon after the operation. The period lasts, as a rule, no more than 2-3 days.

are considered more serious the following symptoms appearing in the human body:

  1. Damage to the nervous system. Most often, there is a violation in certain areas of the body. In rare cases, the situation can worsen, causing paralysis.
  2. Respiratory damage and of cardio-vascular system- postoperative lung infection, cardiac arrest, breathing problems may occur.
  3. Allergic reaction.

In rare cases, after surgery, an allergy to anesthesia may be detected.

This phenomenon occurs in only 1 person out of 15 thousand. Appearance allergic reaction can lead to lethal outcome. To avoid such serious consequences, the physician must first test the sensitivity of the patient to a particular anesthetic that will be used. However, the difficulty lies in the fact that it is possible to conduct preliminary testing only if it is a question of local anesthesia. It is impossible to test the patient's response to general anesthesia. Therefore, no doctor can say with 100% certainty that a person will not develop an allergy to it.

Narcosis and the child's body

Parents whose children are expecting some kind of operation in the near future are tormented by the question: “Is general anesthesia harmful for a child?”. Unfortunately, there is nothing to reassure parents. Many studies have shown that this procedure is quite harmful to the child's body. So, for example, it negatively affects the development of the central nervous system of the baby. Some doctors argue that anesthesia can cause brain cells to die in children. Anesthesia is especially dangerous for children who are not yet 5 years old. They are most often negative.

It is not uncommon for parents to notice a noticeable retardation in their child's subsequent development after surgery. There was a case when a mother complained to doctors that, after anesthesia, her baby was behind in development by 2 years. However, it should be noted that after a while the child caught up with his peers in all respects.

The period of recovery from anesthesia in children, as a rule, does not last more than 2 hours. At this time, the baby may experience such discomfort like nausea, dizziness, vomiting, pain in the area postoperative wound. Currently, there are a number of drugs that can reduce the period of recovery from anesthesia to 20 minutes.

In children under 2 years old, sleep loss is often observed after such a procedure. The child may not sleep well and be irritable for several weeks after the operation. If such restless behavior of the crumbs does not go away for a long time, then this is an occasion for parents to consult a doctor. This will help to eliminate the occurrence of any postoperative complications.

In rare cases, anesthesia can cause the following serious complications in the baby:

  1. Anaphylactic shock. Allergy in a child to the administered drugs. In this case, the baby may experience a sharp decline pressure, breach respiratory function and work of the heart. The consequences can be fatal. Unfortunately, to avoid the appearance anaphylactic shock after the introduction of anesthesia is possible only if such a reaction has already occurred in any relative of the crumbs.
  2. Malignant hyperthermia. In response to the input medications the baby's body temperature rises greatly (up to 43 g). There is only one consolation - malignant hyperthermia develops only in 1 child out of 100 thousand.
  3. Aspiration. In this case, the contents of the stomach enter the Airways. Given unpleasant complication, as a rule, occurs when too little time has passed since the last meal of the patient before the start of the operation (emergency operation).
  4. Respiratory failure. Occurs when there is a violation of oxygen delivery to the lungs and a failure of gas exchange in the lungs. Cardiovascular insufficiency- in this case, the heart is not able to provide the necessary blood supply to the organs. As an independent complication, this condition in children is extremely rare. Most often it occurs as a result of other complications (anaphylactic shock).

Who is more at risk?

Doctors managed to find a number of factors that can increase the risk of certain complications after anesthesia.

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