All procedures have some risk and they depend on many factors including your type of surgery, type of anesthesia and your medical condition. Some of the risks of undergoing anesthesia are:
- Severe reaction to the medicine
- Aspiration pneumonia (inhaling stomach contents into the lungs)
- Infection
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Nerve damage
- Hyperthermia (very high temperature)
- Death
Fortunately, these events are rare and the anesthesiologist takes every precaution to prevent them from happening. There may be other risks that the anesthesiologist will tell you about. If you have questions or concerns about the risks, please discuss them with the anesthesiologist.
The side effects you experience depend on the type of anesthesia you were given. The more common ones are listed below. There may be others that the anesthetist will tell you about. It is important to tell your nurse or doctor if you are having any of these side effects. Your doctor anticipates these situations and may be able to provide some relief.
- Local or regional anesthesia may produce numbness, tingling, nausea, backache or headache
- Monitored anesthesia care may produce headache, sleepiness or nausea and vomiting.
- General anesthesia may produce nausea, thirst, shivering, or a sore throat or jaw.