How Anesthesia Affects Your Brain And Body

Millions of Americans are administered anesthesia each year. Since 1846, doctors have used a variety of drugs to make patients unconscious for surgery, but even though the medications have changed, there's one thing that remains the same— it works. But how exactly?

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Following is the transcript of the video:

Narrator: When you go to sleep, if I pinched you, you'd be up. If I shook you, you'd be up, right? But under anesthesia, I'm gonna pinch you and do a full operation and you're not up. So it's really further on the spectrum of unconsciousness.

Narrator: When you wake up after being put under with general anesthesia you barely feel like any time has passed. You could have been out for an hour or a day and you wouldn't know the difference.

Fong: When you go to a natural sleep, people call your name, your alarm goes off, you wake up, right? This is not what is gonna happen during general anesthesia. You're gonna be unconscious.

Narrator: You're closer to being in a coma than being asleep.

Anesthesia was first used during surgery in 1846. The drug provided at that time was ether. Now anesthesiologists more commonly use a combination of drugs like propofol and fentanyl which interrupt neural pathways so you don't feel pain and you don't remember the surgery.

Fong: Three things that you need for general anesthesia are you need amnesia so that they don't remember, analgesia so they have pain relief and then operating conditions for the surgeon. Some surgeries you need the patient to be very relaxed so you would use a muscle relaxant. Other surgeries the patient just needs to be asleep and anesthetized but they don't need relaxation so how they do that varies upon the different medications that you're using. Some will depress excitatory neurons and some will enhance inhibitory neurons.

Narrator: Excitatory neurons, for example, get excited and send signals to other neurons to fire. Depressing them means less signals telling your brain you're in pain. Inhibitory neurons do the opposite. They make it harder for neurons to generate these electrical signals. In either case this means fewer active neurons overall which is important because when your body is being poked and prodded, neurons would typically fire to tell your brain you're in pain. If those neurons aren't firing, your brain doesn't know that your body is, well, being cut open.

Fong: Basically it interrupts the pathways and the communication between your neural networks. We're aiming for them to be not in pain by looking at their vital signs, their heart rate, their blood pressure. Then we want to make sure that they're unconscious.

Narrator: Without anesthesia, many important surgeries wouldn't be possible because they'd be way too traumatic.

Fong: Surgery didn't move forward, really, until anesthesia moved forward. You know, you watch those old movies. They give you a swig of alcohol, they put a tourniquet and they hack your leg off. People don't do well with that, right? If you had a bad heart, that would be the end of that.

Narrator: After the procedure is complete the doctors stop administering the meds and the most powerful effects of the drugs wear off but even though you're conscious again you might continue to experience some of the drugs side effects.

[thegoodstalin]

Me had an anaesthesia
"1, 2, 3, 4..." (3 p.m.)
"5, 6..." ( 8 p.m.)

[Flypidge]

I just got put under today and on awakening I asked "we going in for surgery now" I was completely blown away by the loss of time. I also felt really peaceful and rested, like I had coke out of a real much needed deep sleep. When I had the canular I looked at the smoke detector on the ceiling and thought "I'll keep conscious as long as possible" I didn't even remember going out it was that quick. Incredible science at its best.

[AustinFoe]

Just had surgery. I had total fear of anesthesia. My account, they gave me medication to calm me down (felt like floating on clouds), then anesthesia was administered without me hearing it. One second I was looking at the team, the next second I was staring at a nurse in different room "surgery is complete." Don't remember the surgery or even closing my eyelids. My dreams were my subconscious saying 'waiting on the surgery.' It was a great experience and now dont fear it at all.

[c-los]

The last thing I remember saying to the doctor is “am i gonna fall asleep fast?” and then boom i was knocked out cold 😂

[OscarJaraJr]

I just had anesthesia today at the doctors. I was told to count to 10 and could only remember counting to 3. Once it was over, I just woke up. No dreams, no recollection of the procedure. It's really mind boggling

[Adsman]

This was my experience for all those who are worried about going under...so after you’re taken to the anaesthetists room they lie you down and insert a cannula, they then give you an initial dose of a sedative and painkiller blend to relax and calm you. Afterwards they commence the introduction of the general anaesthetic through IV AND gaseous means. They tell you to take strong deep breaths and, trust me when I tell you this...it will literally take you 3 puffs and you’re out! It’s so easy I promise! Next thing you know, and it really does feel instantaneous from your perspective, you’re waking up in recovery feeling quite dizzy like your high but not to bad. It’s only at this point where the real challenge starts if I’m honest since you’ll start to realise the post op pain that you get when you move around but your nurses will give you heavy painkillers to help with this. Honestly, I was so scared to go under but it’s a piece of piss. I guarantee that the following day you’ll look back at that part and think “why the hell was I even worried about that” the worse part of having surgery is the aftercare, and even then, it’s not unbeatable! - Hope this helps :)

[hitamtamtam]

You don't need anesthesia if you're dead inside

[maciekbagieta]

I came here to share my story. So, today I had surgery on full anesthesia. As many of you I was terribly scared of everything. It was my first time.
Basically when they moved me to surgery room, I was ready for the worst, but I "played cool". I was talking with nurses, we were laughing, I apologised them for everything I could say after anesthesia. It helped me to relax a bit. I asked nurse to tell me when she injects medicine and asked her to catch my attention on something, for example counting. Then she gave me medicine and informed me I can feel like I drank too much alcohol. I was scared so I asked another one to hold my hand. Then I was told to start counting. I was surprised, so I asked "right know?" and started counting while another woman was setting oxygen mask on my face. I took a one breath, I just said "ten" and I was completely blown away XDDD Believe me, it happened instantaneous. I woke up in the recovering room. I was so confused like, the f*ck just happened. I glanced at the clock and I realised I'm already after surgery. My nurse just came to me and said she tried to bring back my awareness 4 times till now and I'm saying her "Good afternoon" for the 5th time today XD
One of the most funny experience in my life. The only side effect I have got is a throat pain. Be brave my dudes 💪

[hberguy]

I remember being under it, i felt like i was on cloud 9 when i woke up it was crazy never felt so happy in my life

[koyaaanisquatsi]

I've had surgery 2 days ago and I still keep thinking about the time I woke up from anesthesia. I felt like a 90 year old (I'm 28), never felt so tired in my life, 0 energy in my body, head hurts, dry throat. No energy to even move or keep your eyes open. I slept for 5 hours afterwards after surgery, occasionally waking up from pain, to drink water or to throw up. Maybe they gave me a dose too strong for me, or maybe it's normal, I don't know - can someone tell me?
I'll have a word with my surgeon next week. But yeah, it was an unforgettable experience, I can't stop thinking about it - could also be my brain trying to reconcile all my memories and the absence of them during a 3-hour surgery. It's fascinating how fast I lost consciousness, too - a few seconds after the needle went in. Next second I wake up, 5 hours have passed. It feels so weird.

[MoochoSawesomeo]

I had anesthesia when I had to get my wisdom teeth taken out. Once they administered it it felt like 10 seconds went by (when I think it had been roughly and hour or so) and when I came to, I started freaking out cause I thought I woke up in the middle of the surgery and was scared I was gonna feel it. But I was too out of it to articulate these feelings so instead I just burst into tears. I apparently cried the entire time until they wheeled me out to the car, and it wasn’t until I realized I was in my moms car heading back home that I finally stopped crying. That was a wild experience for sure

[Exdus]

I am going for an operation tommorow, wish me good luck

[brandonpotter]

I remember when I went under this I said 10 9 8 blinked 7 6 then the surgeon stopped and asked what the hell I was doing and that they had already finished

[Rizostainos]

In my last surgery i woke up mad confused telling my mom I was seeing smurfs

[Videobot]

The first time I'm was on it, it felt like my energy was fading away and I had an out of body (if you can even call it that) experience. All I remember was staring at the ceiling with my body numbing. The doctors told me to relax and as soon as I did everything stopped and I woke up unaware of the time that went by. Weird right?

[BigJMC]

*Closes your eyes for a second*
*Open your eyes*
Nord: Hey you, your finally awake.

[tiatokkesdal]

My grandfather who passed came to me before I woke up under Anesthesia. Years later, I now work as a grave registrar for my community. I help people find graves plots, monitor their graves being dug, help assist with the funeral plans and whatever else I’m needed for. A woman lost her father on her birthday and a day later had emergency surgery. Coming out of anesthesia, she had a visit from her father as well. it’s crazy and I want to know the science behind this now.

[zannc]

My surgery took like more than 2 hours, but for me I was just like closed my eyes for 10 seconds and I open them and realize the surgery is finished. I felt very weird!

[arireese]

for anyone who’s nervous about being put under, don’t be. i had my first ever surgery yesterday and i was very anxious. it wasn’t even that bad, they just bring you to the room and the nurses/anesthesiologists talk to you to calm you down and get your mind off it. all of a sudden i had an oxygen mask placed on my face and i was out. even my dad said “wait, she’s out already?” (he told me this when i got home) then i just opened my eyes like nothing happened. i was a little loopy and tired after but it wore off. it’s nothing, you just close your eyes and open them and it’s done

[juhibhatia]

Literally I'm writing this from the hospital itself . Today is the second day after my surgery. This msg is for all those people who are scared because of their upcoming surgery. I had a giant cell tumor surgery on my right hand. It was a huge surgery it took around 2 hours. I was Literally shaking and crying out of fear but once the doctor gave me anesthesia I was totally numb and went to sleep for straight 2 hours but I was able to hear the conversation of the doctor. They Literally took my bone out for cleaning with a drill machine and fixed it again I remember he was tapping on my bone with a hammer and I didn't even realize anything . Trust me it was the most amazing experience i was dreaming and i also laughed in the middle of the surgery.I was watching videos and reading comments of people on this video and it helped me a lot ❤ and then I decided that once my surgery will be done I'll come back hear to share my honest experience. So stay strong you guys💪
P.s - once the anesthesia effect will get over then you'll start realizing the actual pain.and belive me it's terrible 😷