Tag: Anesthesiologist

Affecting more than 3 million people in the U.S. each year, scoliosis sometimes requires surgical correction. If you're facing this procedure, you might wonder, **are you put to sleep for scoliosis surgery?** The answer is a definitive yes, using general anesthesia.

The risk of dying from anesthesia is very low, estimated at about 1 in 100,000 to 200,000 cases for healthy patients [1.10.1]. Understanding your options is key, but are IV sedation and general anesthesia the same? They are fundamentally different.

While general anesthesia has historically been common for knee surgeries, over 90% of primary hip and knee replacements at specialized centers are now performed under regional anesthesia, which does not typically require intubation [1.2.1]. So, do you get intubated during knee surgery? The answer depends on the type of anesthesia you receive.

Worldwide, over 300 million major surgical procedures are performed annually, with the vast majority requiring some form of anesthesia [1.5.3]. A common question is: **what does a person feel during anesthesia?** While the goal is to prevent pain, the experience varies significantly by anesthesia type.

Accidental awareness under general anesthesia is rare, occurring in about 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 patients [1.10.4]. Understanding **what's the difference between general anesthesia and twilight sedation** can help clarify the distinct levels of consciousness and risks involved in each.

In the United States, an estimated 105.7 million surgical cases involved anesthesia between 1999 and 2005 [1.8.3]. So, how do they get you to wake up from anesthesia? The process, called emergence, is a carefully controlled reversal, not simply waiting for the effects to wear off on their own [1.2.2, 1.2.3].

In over 90% of cases, general anesthesia induces atelectasis (lung collapse), significantly impacting breathing [1.9.1]. The answer to **can a person breathe on their own under anesthesia** depends entirely on the type and depth of the anesthetic administered.

Fact: Under general anesthesia, the muscles that control breathing are temporarily paralyzed by powerful medications. So, while the immediate answer to "Are you still breathing during surgery?" is no, it's quickly followed by a resounding yes, as a highly-trained team takes over this vital process with sophisticated equipment.

Accidental awareness under general anesthesia is rare, occurring in only about 1 to 2 patients per 1,000 [1.2.1, 1.3.4]. So, do you feel anything when you go under anesthesia? For the vast majority of patients, the answer is a definitive no, thanks to modern medicine [1.2.1].

Nearly 40 million anesthetics are administered annually in the United States, yet many patients wonder: **does anesthesia feel like passing out?** [2.2.1] While both involve a loss of consciousness, the experience and underlying mechanisms are quite different. Anesthesia is a controlled medical state, not a sudden loss of consciousness.