How does anesthesia work? - Steven Zheng

When under anesthesia, you can’t move, form memories, or — hopefully — feel pain. And while it might just seem like you are asleep for that time, you actually aren’t. What’s going on? Steven Zheng explains what we know about the science behind anesthesia.

Lesson by Steven Zheng, animation by Zedem Media.

[lola.stanley]

I remember being so scared and making the surgeons promise they won't start until I'm asleep because I was convinced the anesthetic won't work on me (I used to have a hard time falling asleep), they asked me to count down and I got to six, blinked, and saw that I was being wheeled out of the surgery room after the operation----bless the amazing souls that build modern medicine <3

[alexpearson]

They tell you “are you ready” and you wake in a different room right after. Freaky feeling

[LWWM]

I had surgery recently. I woke up in recovery counting backwards. The nurse was like "what you doing" I told her "counting like I was told" she then told me my surgery was over hours before.

[ramencarmen]

if you are getting surgery soon please dont be nervous. I had surgery 3 days ago and was very nervous and getting stressed. when they did my surgery i remember falling asleep and waking up in the recovery room. i was getting nervous for nothing and everything thing went perfect :) i promise you'll be okay, wishing luck to everyone <3

[mrdasilver]

I remember going into surgery I was so nervous while the doctors were all laughing and trying to make me feel better. They told me they were going to give me the "courage medicine" and asked me to count down from ten. I got to nine, and next thing I knew I was waking up in a different room laughing my head off for no reason.
Now I'm considering becoming a nurse anesthetist. The end.

[MdIKE]

I think anesthesiologists have one of the thankless jobs in the world. We always thank the surgeons for everything they do(and that is deserved) but theses guys are the reason surgeries are so much smoother than a few decades ago.

[patbrennan]

Hats off to all those anesthesiologists that help keep us safe during surgeries. Keep up the good work .

[scratchbuiltdozer]

I cut my finger off and during the reattaching surgery I woke up and asked the doctor how it was going. I can still remember all of the faces of the surgical team looking at me wondering why I was awake. I told them I guess I shouldn’t be awake and went back to sleep. Definitely a crazy experience and I do remember being super cold and I think it’s the reason woke up in the first place

[radioactive]

I've had surgery a number of times, and after a few of them I remember saying, "So, when are we going to start?" And the nurse saying something to effect of "Oh, we're in the 'recovery room'. :)

[boob]

I remember crying my eyes out on the surgery table because I was so nervous for my brain surgery, then, a few seconds later, I’m in a different room, nurse hovering over me telling me “good morning, surgery is done”. Crazy experience 😂

[lizzieb]

heart surgery in two days! wish me luck! i'm pretty nervous :(

[denisford]

I had surgery yesterday, and don't remember much of it. There was a flash of white light in the operating room, and then I woke up in the PACU. It felt like I was resting my eyes. A very successful procedure. I wish I could thank the anesthetist!

[Nunyobidne]

I perform anesthesia daily, and I am grateful for my practice and the art of caring for patients.

[tulip]

when i had surgery i was excited to be knocked out lol. being under anesthesia was so weird. you dont gradually fall asleep. just one second youre conscious the next youre not. you dont dream at all. its kind of like time stops moving for you, its kind of like...warped. and you know when youre starting to gradually wake up and your senses start to pick up things without you fully awake ? usually that whole process takes me a couple of minutes when sleeping, but when i underwent surgery that happened in the span of like, 3 seconds and i jerked awake. it was so cool !!!

[tennicktenstyl]

my biggest fear is some idiot giving me wrong anesthesia and me not being able to move but feel everything they do to me. awful.

[jennymulinaro]

Nothing is crazier than a c-section though. A major surgery where you are wide awake but the anesthesiologist is there with you the whole time. I was so scared that my anesthesiologist’s main job was to hold my arms down because I was shaking so terribly, and then as soon as my son was born, he had to give me a very high dose of pain medicine to stop the tremors. He was my hero that day. Sat there and calmed me down by saying how often he did this procedure and how it’ll just take a couple of minutes and then I’ll be a mommy. It was so scary and beautiful at the same time. Hard to describe.

[dr.diggle]

"Accidently got some on his tongue". Yeah, and I "accidentally" just smoked all my friends weed

[AgnesN]

When I had my first (and only so far) surgery, I wasn't asked to count from 10, but the anesthesiologist said to me I had one job: visualize my nicest memories. It was such a nice thing of her to say I almost cried. When I feared the surgery so much, it just brought me great comfort that this nice lady will be there with me.

[thatgirlkat]

Now I know why anesthesiologists are important not only pre-surgery but also during surgery

[KhemistrySet]

This is probably the first time ever where the comments are more useful than the video. I have an operation coming up & I was absolutely terrified of going under GA. All your stories have given me great comfort. Thank you all ❤️🙏🏾