Anesthesia is an essential part of many medical procedures and surgeries. It allows patients to be sedated and unaware during procedures that would otherwise be painful or traumatic. While anesthesia is generally very safe, there are risks involved, including the risk of not waking up from anesthesia.
What are the overall risks of anesthesia?
The risks of complications and death from anesthesia are low, but real. Various studies have tried to quantify the risks of anesthesia. Here are some key statistics:
- A 2020 study found the rate of cardiac arrest under anesthesia was 7 per 10,000 anesthetics administered.
- A 2015 study found the mortality rate from anesthesia was 1 death per 160,000 anesthetics administered.
- A 2014 study found the rate of anesthesia-related cardiac arrest was 4.2 per 10,000 anesthetics.
So while the risks are low, complications and death from anesthesia still occur at a rate of about 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 160,000. The risks are higher in patients who are older, sicker, or undergoing more complex procedures.
What are the chances of not waking up from general anesthesia?
Most studies have found the risk of dying under general anesthesia to be very low, between 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 300,000. This means the chances of not waking up are about 0.001% or less for a healthy patient undergoing a routine procedure.
However, the risk varies greatly depending on the patient’s health conditions and the type of procedure being performed. Here are some statistics on the chances of death under general anesthesia:
- Healthy patients: about 1 death per 160,000 anesthetics
- Sicker patients (ASA Class 3): 1 death per 19,000 anesthetics
- Older patients (over age 80): 1 death per 1,100 anesthetics
- Emergency surgery: 1 death per 550 anesthetics
So healthy patients undergoing elective surgery have extremely low risks from general anesthesia. But older, sicker patients undergoing emergency surgery have a higher risk of mortality.
What factors increase the risk of not waking up?
There are several factors that can increase the risk of dying or not waking up from anesthesia:
- Age – Older patients above age 70-80 are at higher risk.
- Pre-existing conditions – Such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, high blood pressure.
- Obesity – Being significantly overweight increases risks.
- Smoking – Smokers have higher risks.
- Alcohol/drug use – Heavy drinkers and drug users have higher risks..
- Emergency surgery – Done for urgent conditions, higher risk than planned surgery.
- Lengthy/complex procedures – Risk increases with longer and more complex surgeries.
Talk to your doctor about ways to minimize risks if you have any of these factors. Quitting smoking, losing weight, and optimizing pre-existing conditions can help reduce risks from anesthesia.
What causes death under anesthesia?
There are several possible causes of death related to anesthesia:
- Cardiac arrest – The heart stops beating due to blood pressure changes.
- Stroke – A blood clot or bleeding cuts off oxygen to part of the brain.
- Anaphylaxis – A severe allergic reaction to anesthesia drugs.
- Aspiration – Inhaling vomit into the lungs while sedated.
- Nerve damage – Damage to nerves controlling breathing leading to respiratory failure.
- Anesthesia overdose – Being given too much anesthesia medication.
Modern anesthesia is extremely safe, but these complications can still occur in rare cases. Emergency procedures to restart the heart or breathing are usually started quickly when complications happen.
How can risks be minimized?
While there is always a small risk with anesthesia, there are things you can do to make it as safe as possible:
- Choose an experienced anesthesiologist to administer anesthesia in a surgical center or hospital.
- Follow pre-surgery instructions such as fasting to avoid aspiration.
- Stop smoking, lose weight, and control pre-existing conditions prior to surgery.
- Allow proper time off medications that interfere with anesthesia prior to surgery.
- Talk to your doctor about a personalized plan to optimize your health for surgery.
Modern anesthesia techniques are very safe, but risks cannot be completely eliminated. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk factors so you can minimize dangers and safely undergo the procedures you need.
What are the chances of temporary side effects from anesthesia?
While the risks of death or serious harm are low, temporary side effects from anesthesia are more common. These include:
- Nausea and vomiting – Occurs in about 30% of patients.
- Sore throat – Caused by intubation, occurs in 40-50% of patients intubated.
- Dizziness and headaches – Caused by medications used, in 10-30% of patients.
- Pain and bruising – From IV or injection sites.
- Shivering and chills – The body loses heat during anesthesia.
- Confusion and memory loss – More common in the elderly, delirium in 10-15%.
While unpleasant, these side effects are generally short-term and not dangerous. Medications are available to treat nausea, pain, and other symptoms after anesthesia. The anesthesia care team takes steps to reduce the chances of side effects.
How quickly do people wake up from anesthesia?
Waking up from anesthesia is a gradual process and varies by individual. Here is the typical timeframe:
- 5-10 minutes: Start regaining consciousness, very drowsy.
- 10-20 minutes: Becoming alert and aware of surroundings.
- 30-60 minutes: Fully awake and recovering.
- 60+ minutes: Discharged from post-anesthesia care unit.
But some people take longer to wake up, especially if they were under anesthesia for a long time or are elderly. It depends on factors like:
- Dosage and types of anesthesia drugs given.
- Length of surgery.
- Age and health of the patient.
- Body’s rate of metabolizing anesthesia.
Waking up can seem instantaneous to the patient. But in reality it is a gradual process of emerging from unconsciousness that takes 30-60 minutes on average.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the risks of dying from anesthesia are very low, around 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 300,000. Healthy patients undergoing routine procedures have minimal risks. The elderly, sicker patients, and emergency surgeries have higher but still small risks of dying from complications. While death is rare, temporary side effects like nausea and dizziness occur more commonly.
Anesthesia is very safe in the hands of trained professionals. Follow your doctor’s advice to minimize risks and educate yourself on the tiny but real dangers. While extremely rare, anesthesia death can occur so it is important to understand the risk factors.
