fear of anesthesia

General anesthesia is often the better choice
Basically, all forms of anesthesia are considered safe. However, the belief that modern procedures such as epidural anesthesia involve fewer risks than general anesthesia is deceptive. “An epidural can have a significant impact on circulatory function,” warns Prof. Rolf. Other local anesthetic procedures also have typical risks. “They can lead to direct damage to nerve structures,” says the Hamburg chief physician. “Therefore, the application should always be monitored by a specialist.”

Be completely honest in the preliminary talk
Whether an anesthetic proceeds without complications also depends on the patient. In the preliminary talk, he should tell the anesthetist exactly what medication he is taking, among other things. This also applies to herbal medicines. For example, extracts from ginkgo, St. John’s wort, valerian, coneflower, garlic or ginseng can affect the duration of anesthesia, cause interactions with other medications or increase the risk of bleeding. The same applies to dietary supplements such as vitamin preparations. In most cases, the anesthesiologist will advise you to stop the treatment in good time in the preliminary talk. Toxins such as nicotine or alcohol can also influence the effect of an anesthetic. Therefore: Tell the anesthesiologist honestly whether and how much you consume.

In principle, no patient should shy away from asking questions again and again and getting comprehensive information – even if the doctor is impatient to end the conversation.

The four most important types of anesthesia

The anesthesia used varies depending on the location, duration and severity of the procedure. Here are the most important forms.

The general anesthesia

is almost always initiated with an infusion of sleeping pills. In addition, the patient is given strong painkillers and drugs that relax the muscles. Because this cocktail turns off natural spontaneous breathing, among other things, it is artificially ventilated through a soft tube. A breathing mask is sufficient for shorter procedures. To maintain the anesthesia, the doctor usually administers a gas mixture consisting of oxygen for breathing, nitrous oxide for pain and an ether-like gas for deep sleep.

With xenon anesthesia

does the artificially supplied breathing air in general anesthesia contain the inert gas xenon. This protects weak hearts and alleviates states of confusion after the operation, e.g. B. can occur in elderly patients.

In plexus anesthesia

a local anesthetic is injected into a nerve plexus in the armpit, neck or shoulder area, which makes the arm painless and immobile, the patient remains awake.

The epidural anesthesia

works on the same principle. However, the local anesthetic is injected into the spinal canal, which paralyzes the muscles from the injection site down and eliminates pain; here too the patient remains awake.