Make use of relaxation techniques. There are lots of good relaxation techniques you can use. Muscle relaxations, breathing exercises, meditations, are all excellent techniques. You can take part in classes before your surgery, or you can use YouTube videos or other pre-recorded courses to learn how to do it.
For example, someone who is afraid of having an anesthetic will need a different type of support than someone who is mostly anxious about being in a hospital. Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation or muscle relaxation can be helpful.
Arm yourself with information
The best way to relieve your pre-anesthesia fears is to talk to your perioperative team. They can answer your questions and allay your fears of the unknown, Dr. McAllister said.
Two common fears that patients cite about anesthesia are: 1) not waking up or 2) not being put “fully to sleep” and being awake but paralyzed during their procedure. First and foremost, both cases are extremely, extremely rare. In fact, the likelihood of someone dying under anesthesia is less than 1 in 100,000.
While anxiety may be a common experience among patients, it does not come without risks and complications. As our anxious patient now lies anesthetized in the operation theater, higher anesthetic doses may be required to maintain an acceptable level of sedation for the procedure to go smoothly.
A doctor may prescribe benzodiazepines, melatonin, or sedatives to people to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation before surgery.
There is no panic associated with conscious sedation. You are entirely unaware of the effect during treatment. Conscious sedation may be administered through an intravenous line inserted into a vein in your hand. Once the sedation is injected, it takes effect in under a minute.
General anesthesia alters time perception by phase shifting the circadian clock.
If you're having general anesthesia, an anesthesiologist will give you medications that make you lose consciousness. After the surgery is complete, he or she will reverse the medication so that you regain consciousness — but you won't be wide awake right away.
Anesthesia won't make you confess your deepest secrets
It's normal to feel relaxed while receiving anesthesia, but most people don't say anything unusual. Rest assured, even if you do say something you wouldn't normally say while you are under sedation, Dr. Meisinger says, “it's always kept within the operating room.
Some patients may be more resistant to the effects of anesthetics than others; factors such as younger age, obesity, tobacco smoking, or long-term use of certain drugs (alcohol, opiates, or amphetamines) may increase the anesthetic dose needed to produce unconsciousness.
This “Juice” is typically a mixture of 2 different medications. One is an antihistamine (similar to Benadryl) and is used in most mixtures. The name of this medication is Hydroxyzine. The other medication will either be Valium, Versed (similar to Valium but more common with younger children), or Demerol.
Although doctors often say that you'll be asleep during surgery, research has shown that going under anesthesia is nothing like sleep. “Even in the deepest stages of sleep, with prodding and poking we can wake you up,” says Brown. “But that's not the case with general anesthesia.
You'll feel as though you're asleep. But general anesthesia does more than put you to sleep. You don't feel pain when you're under general anesthesia. This is because your brain doesn't respond to pain signals or reflexes.
Most general anesthetics will last between 1-2 hours. However, some procedures may require longer periods of anesthesia. For instance, complex surgeries such as spinal surgeries may require 3-4 hours of anesthesia. The length of time a person is under anesthesia also depends on the type of anesthesia used.
But, in general, patients going into surgery often have a generalized fear of the unknown. You are about to lose control where you previously had control. In my experience, there are many patients who undergo surgery whose generalized anxiety goes unrecognized and can sometimes be exhibited as pain.
Being Nervous Is Common
That's natural and even expected. When the feelings go beyond a simple case of nerves, it's called surgical anxiety. There's even a medical term for it: tomophobia. In extreme cases, medical fears prevent necessary or regular health care.
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your surgery. This includes water, coffee, gum, or mints. If you do, it may be necessary to cancel your surgery.
Yes, in most situations you can receive medications prior to surgery to help relieve anxiety. However, in some rare circumstances, this medication may interfere with your anesthesia or surgery and thus cannot be given. This will be discussed with your anesthesiologist prior to your surgery.
Failure to arouse and delayed awakening are the most common early neurologic problems following general anesthesia. True prolonged postoperative coma is relatively uncommon, with estimates ranging from 0.005 to 0.08 percent following general surgery, but with higher rates reported after cardiac surgery.
During sedation, patients are sleepy and may even fall completely asleep, but they're not in the deep sleep of general anesthesia. They may need to be given some oxygen, but usually can breathe on their own and typically do not need a breathing tube.
Tomophobia refers to fear or anxiety caused by forthcoming surgical procedures and/or medical interventions.
Benzodiazepines (also known as tranquilizers) are the most widely prescribed type of medication for anxiety. Drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) work quickly, typically bringing relief within 30 minutes to an hour.