Question 1

what are the major side effects of general anesthesia?

Accepted Answer

Many side effects: The side effects are many but fortunately short lived.  Probably the most significant is post operative nausea in the immediate period after surgery, this is treatable.  Prolonged "grogginess", confusion in the elderly, sleepiness, sore throat(transient) are other side effects.  It is important to know that these are typically absent on day two.

Question 2

could you tell me what are side effects of being put under general anesthesia?

Accepted Answer

Varied: When we discuss possible side effects we may group them into "more likely", "less likely", and "rare" and  personalize the information for the patient's health issues and procedure. Example list: nausea, vomiting, sore throat, tooth damage,  inadequate post-op pain relief, allergies or other reaction to medication ranging from minor to severe, heart rhythm problems, urinary retention, etc.

Question 3

what side effects does general anesthesia have on a 30 week fetus?

Accepted Answer

Short-lived: General anesthesia that a mother receives passes through her system into the baby's system. However, it goes away quickly too. If the baby were born right away, it might be sleepy or need help with breathing. But assuming that the baby is not born yet, the anesthesia meds will be gone within a few hours. At 30 weeks, all the baby's organs and limbs are formed, so there is no risk of birth defects.

Question 4

are there any long-term side-effects of general anesthesia, such as memory loss or dementia?

Accepted Answer

Possible: Very rare but I have seen patients where this has happened - get a consult with aneurologist

Question 5

names of typical/common drugs/steroids used for general anesthesia in outpatient sinus surgery? any risk of cancer side effects or other side effects?

Accepted Answer

I would not worry: There is no such risk from medicines used for such operations. There is no such drugs used medically that can cause cancer. Steroids are also free from any such serious toxicity. So you can relax and trust your doctors.

Question 6

could general anesthesia have any side effect to memory loss?

Accepted Answer

Not easy answer: After anesthetics, some patients experince postoperative cognitive dusfunctionpocd. The memory issues after anesthesia and surgery have been the focus of many studies. It is unclear if anesthesia by itself or if surgery and anesthesia or if surgery by itself is what causes pocd. There is no known treatment and there is no known proven way to prevent pocd except by not having surgery and anesthesia.

Question 7

i had surgery on my neck 8 months back under general anesthesia. now i am getting headaches every day. is it a side effect of ga?

Accepted Answer

No: You should not be getting headaches from a general anesthetic 8 months earlier.  Check with your doc for other causes.

Question 8

my 15 month old son had an orchiopexy yesterday today he has had frequent loose stools could it be a side effect of general anesthesia?

Accepted Answer

See below : Whereas nausea and vomiting are quite common after general anesthesia, diarrhea is not. If diarrhea does not improve or worsens; or is associated with fever, lack of appetite, inability to take oral fluids, signs of dehydration, persistent crying or irritability, I would recommend you both notify the surgeon and contact your child's pediatrician for advice and recommendations.

Question 9

had a breast lift with general anesthesia, is the hair loss a common side effect?

Accepted Answer

Not specifically: You may have had a reaction to the medication or it could be just the physical stress of the surgery.

Question 10

70 yr old male exerciser 510 165 lbs , non smoker ,with only known problem being an enlarged prostate , controlled hypertension scheduled for single sided robotic inguinal hernia repair at the end of january 
is general anesthesia safe ? thanks !

Accepted Answer

Ask anesthesiologist: Your anesthesiologist will do an assessment of risk before surgery and discuss this with you. If there is doubt of safety, speak with your family doc or internist to discuss your fears. The surgery you describe should be safe for the conditions you describe

Get Virtual Care

For Businesses

About Us

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Doctor answers about:

Post general anesthesia side effects

A member asked:

What are the major side effects of general anesthesia?

A member asked:

Could you tell me what are side effects of being put under general anesthesia?

A member asked:

What side effects does general anesthesia have on a 30 week fetus?

A member asked:

Are there any long-term side-effects of general anesthesia, such as memory loss or dementia?

A member asked:

Names of typical/common drugs/steroids used for general anesthesia in outpatient sinus surgery? any risk of cancer side effects or other side effects?

A member asked:

Could general anesthesia have any side effect to memory loss?

A member asked:

I had surgery on my neck 8 months back under general anesthesia. now i am getting headaches every day. is it a side effect of ga?

A member asked:

My 15 month old son had an orchiopexy yesterday today he has had frequent loose stools could it be a side effect of general anesthesia?

A member asked:

Had a breast lift with general anesthesia, is the hair loss a common side effect?

A member asked:

70 yr old male exerciser 510 165 lbs , non smoker ,with only known problem being an enlarged prostate , controlled hypertension scheduled for single sided robotic inguinal hernia repair at the end of january is general anesthesia safe ? thanks !

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Telemedicine

Primary Care

Manage Your Conditions

Women's Health

Children's Health

Men's Health

Senior Health

Wellness, Prevention & Lifestyle

Sexual Health

Mental & Behavioral Health

Travel Medicine

Urgent Care

Didn't find what you're looking for?

More of what we treat

Allergies

Antibiotics

Asthma

High Blood Pressure

Prescriptions

Type 2 Diabetes

For Businesses

Company

Health Content

Join Us

Download HealthTap

Questions?