General Anesthesia

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

 Medically Reviewed by Tyler Wheeler, MD on November 05, 2022
 What Is General Anesthesia?
 General Anesthesia Procedure
 Stages of General Anesthesia
 When Do You Get General Anesthesia?
 When Is General Anesthesia Not Needed?
 More

What Is General Anesthesia?

General anesthesia is medicine you get before some types of surgery to
make you sleep and prevent you from feeling pain.

General Anesthesia Procedure

General anesthesia works by interrupting nerve signals in
your brain and body. It prevents your brain from processing pain and
from remembering what happened during your surgery.
A specially trained doctor, called an anesthesiologist, gives you general
anesthesia and cares for you before, during, and after your surgery. A
nurse anesthetist and other team members may also be involved in your
care. 
Before your surgery, you'll get anesthesia through an IV line that goes
into a vein in your arm or hand. You might also breathe in gas through a
mask. You should fall asleep within a couple of minutes.
Once you're asleep, the doctor might put a tube through
your mouth into your windpipe. This tube ensures that you get enough
oxygen during surgery. The doctor will first give you medicine to relax
the muscles in your throat. You won't feel anything when the tube is
inserted.
During surgery, the anesthesia team will check these and other body
functions:

 Breathing
 Temperature
 Heart rate
 Blood pressure
 Blood oxygen level
 Fluid levels

Your medical team will use these measurements to adjust

your medications or give you more fluids or blood if you need them.
They will also make sure you stay asleep and pain-free for the whole
procedure.
After surgery, the doctor will stop your anesthesia medicines. You'll go
to a recovery room, where you'll slowly wake up. The doctors and
nurses will make sure you aren’t in pain and that you don't have any
problems from the surgery or the anesthesia.
Related

Stages of General Anesthesia

Before they had machines to track your vital signs during general
anesthesia, doctors came up with a monitoring system to keep patients
safe. They divided the system into four stages:

 Stage 1: Induction. The earliest stage lasts from when you first

take the medication until you go to sleep. You’re calm but able to
talk for a while. Your breathing is slow but regular, and you lose
the ability to feel pain.
  Stage 2: Excitement or delirium. The second stage can be
dangerous, so the anesthesiologist will want to get you through it
as quickly as possible. You can have uncontrolled movements, fast
heartbeat, and irregular breathing. You might vomit, which could
make you choke or stop breathing.
 Stage 3: Surgical anesthesia. At this stage, surgery can take
place. Your eyes stop moving, your muscles completely relax, and
you may stop breathing without the help of machines. The
anesthesiologist will keep you at this stage until the procedure is
over.
 Stage 4: Overdose. If you get too much anesthesia, your brain will
stop telling your heart and lungs to work. It’s rare with modern
technology, but it can be fatal.

When Do You Get General Anesthesia?

The doctor might give you general anesthesia if your procedure:

 Takes a few hours or more

 Affects your breathing
 Affects a large area of your body
 Involves a major organ, like your heart or brain
 Could make you lose a lot of blood

When Is General Anesthesia Not Needed?

You and your doctor may decide it isn’t the right choice for you if:

 Your surgery is minor

 The procedure affects a small part of your body (such as on
your foot or face)

For these types of procedures, you might just need:

Local anesthesia. This prevents any pain in the small area of the
surgery, but you stay awake.
Regional anesthesia. This numbs a larger area of your body, like your
legs, but you also stay awake.

General Anesthesia Preparation

You'll meet with your doctor and anesthesiologist before the surgery.
They'll go over your surgery so you know what to expect. The
anesthesiologist will ask you:

 What medical conditions you have

 Which medications you take, including over-the-counter
medicines and herbal supplements
 If you have any allergies, such as to eggs, soy, or any medications
 If you smoke, drink alcohol, or take street drugs
like cocaine or marijuana
 If you've ever had a reaction to anesthesia during a past surgery