How common is post anesthesia delerium. my episode lasted 3 days. that was in 2004. my upcoming surgery is a bit scary because of this.

Relatively common: Emergence delirium is relatively common with an incidence between 1 to 5%. It tends to reoccur in patients who have had previous emergence delirium, however medications and anesthetic techniques can be used to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Minimal: Post operative cognative impairment (delirium or confusion) is common as age increases but is usually not a permanent issue. Usually resolves within a few days. Is also dependant on length of surgery and type of anesthetic used.

See below: There are many causes of post-operative delirium. These events can be minimized by the careful use of anesthetics. As we get older we are not as tolerant of some of the medications as we used to be, and the provider needs to be aware of this. Talk with your anesthesiologist before the operation and discuss your options.

It is uncommon : And dependant on what was used. A great help is to bring a copy of the anesthesia record from that event to the treating anesthesiologist. He may be able to see what meds to avoid or devise a plan that minimizes the risk of delirium post op.