Understanding risk

In modern anaesthesia, serious problems are uncommon.

Risk cannot be removed completely, but modern equipment, training and drugs have made it a much safer procedure in recent years.

 

To understand a risk, you must know:

• How likely it is to happen.
• How serious it could be.
• How it can be treated.

 

The risk to you as an individual will depend on:

• Whether you have any other illness
• Personal factors, such as smoking or being overweight
• Surgery which is complicated, long or done in an emergency.

 

Side effects and complications

• RA = This may occur with a regional anaesthetic.
• GA = This may occur with a general anaesthetic.

 

Very common and common side effects

RA	GA	Feeling sick and vomiting after surgery
	GA	Sore throat
RA	GA	Dizziness, short-term blurred vision
RA	GA	Headache
RA	GA	Bladder problems
	GA	Damage to lips or tongue (usually minor)
RA	GA	Itching
RA	GA	Aches, pains and backache
RA	GA	Pain during injection of drugs
RA	GA	Bruising and soreness
	GA	Confusion or memory loss

 

Uncommon side effects and complications

	GA	Chest infection
	GA	Muscle pains
RA	GA	Slow breathing (depressed respiration)
	GA	Damage to teeth
RA	GA	An existing medical condition getting worse
	GA	Awareness (becoming conscious during your operation)

 

Rare or very rare complications

	GA	Damage to the eyes
RA	GA	Heart attack or stroke
RA	GA	Serious allergy to drugs
RA	GA	Nerve damage
RA	GA	Death
RA	GA	Equipment failure

Deaths caused by anaesthesia are very rare. There are probably about five deaths for every million anaesthetics in the UK.

 

This information booklet has been modified from one in a series produced by: The Royal College of Anaesthetists

Further more detailed information, can be read in the publication “Anaesthesia Explained”, also produced by The Royal College of Anaesthetists.