Is anesthesia safe?

Anesthesia is generally very safe but there are possible side effects. The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, sore throat from a breathing tube, and mental confusion for a few days after taking the anesthesia. More rare side effects include cognitive dysfunction resulting in long term memory loss and learning problems after the anesthetic. This tends to occur in the elderly whose brains have more difficulty recovering from the anesthesia. This usually occurs in patients who have Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease. Another rare side effect is hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia can result if you have had a history of heatstroke. It is much more common to have the opposite reaction however, where the patient will experience hypothermia and become very cold as the anesthesia fades. Because of these possible side effects, it is important to tell a physician if you have had any conditions which might complicate the application of anesthesia including heart disease or mental conditions.