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.
