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- $Unique_ID{BRK00603}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Does one Feel What's Going On While Under Anesthesia?}
- $Subject{anesthesia surgery Special Procedures procedure anesthetic
- sedative-hypnotic}
- $Volume{P-0}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Does one Feel What's Going On While Under Anesthesia?
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- QUESTION: I am going to have an operation to remove a cyst next month. I've
- never had surgery before and I'm worried that even though I'll be under
- anesthesia, I'm going to feel what's going on. Does that ever happen?
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- ANSWER: It is extremely rare for a patient to feel anything or to actually
- remember what went on while under general anesthesia, although many patients
- express the same fears that you do. Fewer than 1% of patients have real
- memories of anything that took place. A much greater number of people, up to
- 50%, may have awareness of a memory. In such cases, the patient may know
- about events that occurred during surgery, but doesn't know that he knows,
- since the memory remains only on a subconscious level. A number of agents
- that bring about a loss of sensation are used by trained anesthesiologists to
- put a person under general anesthesia. This allows the doctor to perform
- surgery, which might otherwise be painful.
- The drugs or agents that are used work to achieve necessary muscle
- relaxation and to calm fear and anxiety, producing a state of amnesia for the
- event. In many cases doctors have patients inhale gases or volatile liquids
- that produce this state. On other occasions, sedative-hypnotic drugs are
- administered intravenously to achieve the desired results.
- It is more than likely, therefore, that you will wake up after it is all
- over, and never remember what really took place.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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