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A member asked:
I stopped breathing for 15 min during anesthesia. would there be potential damage?
10 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
Anesthesia care: Anesthesia is monitored very closely because it does shut off normal body functions. Being put to sleep under general does turn off breathing; a machine is used to breathe for the patient. Sedation (like used for colonoscopies, etc) can sometimes stop breathing in sensitive patients; equipment and staff are always right there to assist & ventilate. Once you woke up okay, further damage unlikely.
Answered 4/3/2014
5.8k views
No: During anesthesia breathing often stops. You obviously were ventilated or your respirations assisted or you would be dead. There will be no long term consequences.
Answered 5/8/2015
5.8k views
Yes: Most humans can hold their breaths for a minute or two, but 15 minutes of not breathing is not possible. This is why during surgery the anesthesiologist is trained to handle the airway of a patient, and make sure they are breathing. You would not have been allowed to not breathe for this length of time. The doctor would have taken over for you and supported your breathing.
Answered 4/24/2015
5.2k views
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