How often do people overdose or die from anesthesia?

Very unlikely: General anesthesia is performed in a highly specialized location of the operating room with multiple monitors to watch the heart, blood pressure, and oxygenation. There is a bis monitor available to monitor brain function if indicated. Anesthetic risks are not from the carefully monitored medications, but the risk is related mostly to the patient's underlying medical status (heart & lung diseases).

Extremely rarely: The incidence of death from anesthesia in the usa is ~ 1 in 200, 000 anesthetics. It is among the safest specialties in medicine. However, it is important for you to get to know your anesthesia doctor, because your life may depend on it.

Very Rarely: The risk of death from anesthesia is though to be around one in 350, 000 anesthetics. This is usually due to an underlying problem that interferes with the surgery and anesthetic. A healthy patient as less of a risk. I tell my patients that they are more likely to die from driving to the hospital than from the anesthetic.