Questions About General Anesthesia

The first stage in all anesthesia methods starts with the general evaluation of the patient. The anesthesiologist is responsible for monitoring the vital functions of the patient, not feeling pain, making the necessary interventions when needed, and arranging the treatments during the process from putting the patient to sleep until the patient wakes up after the surgery. Anesthesia processes that continue under the control of the anesthesiologist also vary according to the method to be applied.

What are the procedures in the operating room?

When the patients arrive in the operating room, they are greeted by the anesthesiologist and taken from the stretcher to the operating table by the operating team with the help of the anesthesiologist.

• The anesthesiologist connects the sphygmomanometer, the electrodes of the heart monitor and the fingertip cable of the pulse oximeter (measures oxygen in the blood) device to the patient. These allow the patient's vital functions to be closely monitored throughout the surgery.
• If necessary, oxygen can be given by mask for 3-5 minutes before the start of anesthesia. After that, drugs that will reduce painful stimuli, create a special sleep state called anesthesia and provide muscle relaxation are intravenously administered to the patient.
• Anesthesia continues as long as these gases are given, shortly after it is stopped, the anesthesia ends and the patient wakes up.
• In this process, the anesthesiologist is constantly at the patient's head and makes the necessary treatments regarding the course of the surgery.

What are the Stages of General Anesthesia?

There are three phases in general anesthesia;

• induction (loss of consciousness, muscle relaxation and intubation),
• surgical period (analgesia and anesthesia),
• waking (restoring consciousness and adequate vital functions).

Premedication, preliminary period: It is the initial stage of anesthesia. It is aimed to reduce the stress and pressure created by the surgery and to go to the operating room calmly. For this, some drugs are given by opening a vascular access or by mouth, and it is prepared for sleep. It is provided. At the same time, the drug is continued to be given through the veins or inhalation so that he does not feel pain. The patient is in a deep sleep and does not feel pain, the surgical procedure continues. Meanwhile, the anesthesiologist monitors the patient's breathing and other functions. During the operation, the patient is kept under observation in terms of vital functions and possible complications. All anesthetic drugs given are discontinued, and the patient is expected to wake up spontaneously and all life functions are restored. The patient who wakes up in the operating room is taken to the Recovery room to observe the possible effects of the anesthetic agents used and to control pain. After the patient, who was observed for a while, is stabilized in terms of breathing, blood pressure, pulse and pain control, he is sent to the service with the approval of the Anesthesiologist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the anesthesiologist leave you after "sleeping" you? ?

Patients given anesthesia are never left alone in the operating room. Some of the patients may think that after the anesthesiologist "sleeps", they have no other job and leave the operating room. However, there may be unexpected changes in vital functions even in patients who are found to be quite healthy in the preoperative examination. For this reason, your anesthesiologist is always with you and your only protector.

Is sleep and anesthesia the same thing?

General anesthesia is called "sleeping" in daily conversations. When general anesthesia is applied, consciousness disappears and the patient sleeps. But this is not a normal sleep. Consciousness has disappeared and the functioning of many organs of the body has also changed. In this case, the anesthetist checks the functioning of the body's changing organs and makes the necessary treatments for them. "Narcosis" is an older term; Indicates a "deep sleep" state. Although it is sometimes used instead of the word anesthesia, it describes anesthesia as incomplete, therefore it is not liked by anesthetists. could be overcome. Thanks to today's techniques and easy-to-control drugs, this is a very rare condition. Your anesthesiologist, who will always be with you during the operation, will not allow such a situation by determining your depth of sleep with modern monitoring methods. This depends on the type and course of the surgery, how long the surgery should last, the anesthesia is continued uninterruptedly.

Which patients cannot receive anesthesia?

Today's developed anesthesia drugs, anesthesia techniques and monitoring of patients' vital functions Thanks to useful devices and post-operative intensive care units, it is now possible for patients who could not be given anesthesia to safely undergo any type of surgery.

Patients with heart disease, long-standing kidney disease and severe lung disease also have a chance to undergo surgery and recover. Moreover, these patients can easily undergo surgeries for these existing diseases. The anesthesiologist who examines his patient with this type of disease will determine the degree of the disease with the tests he will make, make an effort to reduce the symptoms of the disease with the treatment to be done before the operation, and ask for opinions from the relevant departments if necessary. As a result of all these studies, every patient can safely receive anesthesia under suitable conditions. The patient, who is relieved in this way, is not affected by the activities and conversations in the operating room and spends the uncomfortable parts of the surgery in light sleep. Some patients may not want to sleep when the effects of regional anesthesia are well established and they realize that they do not feel pain. Patients can spend time talking to their anesthetists during the surgery if they wish. Since a shield is placed in all surgeries, it is impossible for the patient to see the operating area. While the patient is under anesthesia, the foods in the full stomach and acidic gastric fluid come back from the esophagus and breathe out. This is an undesirable situation and may cause life-threatening.

Adult patients should not take solid food after 24:00 the night before the surgery. In the afternoon of the operation, they can take two slices of bread or 4 biscuits and the desired liquid at 06:00 in the morning. They can take clear liquids (water, sweetened water, tea, linden, clear fruit juices) up to 2 hours before the operation (except milk, carbonated drinks, soup). Medicines can be taken with a sip of water up to 1 hour before the operation. br>Why do they insert serum before the surgery?

Before the surgery, the patient is injected with serum with the help of a plastic cannula placed in the vein. These intravenous drugs allow the patient to lose consciousness in a short time and to initiate anesthesia. Before and during the operation, the patient's fluid and electrolyte needs are met through this vein. Again, through this vascular access, drugs that will help control and treat changes in vital signs during surgery are injected. In short, the vascular access opened before the surgery is one of the most important tools that connect the patient to life. After the operation, painkillers, drugs to prevent vomiting and nausea, and fluids are given until the patient is able to take food by mouth. This plastic cannula in the vein is removed and canceled when the need ends.

Can there be an allergy to anesthesia?

All drugs, not just anesthetics, can cause allergies. However, allergy to anesthetic drugs is rare, except for a few. Allergic reactions may be in the form of redness in the area where the drug is given, sometimes along the vein, in some patients as rashes in the form of urticaria, and much more rarely in the form of sudden drop in blood pressure, difficulty in breathing and palpitation. Allergy tests performed before anesthesia have no scientific value.

Your anesthesiologist is trained and experienced in the intervention of all kinds of allergic reactions and operating room conditions are the most suitable environment for the treatment of such conditions.

Can teeth be damaged during anesthesia?

In your mouth to the anesthesiologist alias It is very useful to tell before the operation that there is a single tooth or a few teeth holding your prosthesis, or any tooth that is hanging out. Usually, removable dentures are removed before coming to the operating room. While the anesthesiologist is placing a tube in your windpipe, he tries to avoid damaging the single tooth that holds the partial denture. However, it is beneficial to extract non-functional and loose teeth before surgery. Because these can be dislodged during anesthesia no matter how much care is taken. Under normal conditions, healthy teeth are not damaged.
What is the risk in smokers?

Anesthesiologist does not like the patient to be a smoker. Smokers experience some problems during anesthesia and especially during the awakening period after anesthesia, and they cause the anesthesiologist to experience some problems, but they continue to smoke in their post-operative lives as they do not remember these experiences.

If you are a smoker, you should stop smoking as soon as possible It is the best because it takes a long time to heal the damage that smoking has done for years. Quitting smoking a few days before the surgery will not benefit you or your anesthesiologist. The worst thing you will do to yourself and your anesthesiologist is to come to the operating room by smoking a few hours before the operation. After the vital reflexes of the patient return, the tube in the airways is withdrawn and the patient is allowed to breathe on his own. This tube, which is of great benefit during surgery, may cause some irritation in the trachea in some patients. The pain, tickling sensation and difficulty in swallowing that the patient feels in his throat after the surgery are the reasons for this and are temporary. Soft tubes made of special materials that have been developed in recent years have minimized this.

What causes post-operative nausea and vomiting? Vomiting and nausea occur more frequently after strabismus surgeries in children and after abdominal surgeries in adults compared to other surgeries.

Anes developed in recent years

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