“Can anesthesia have any side effects?”
My father is 72 years old and is due for a prostrate surgery. This is the first time he is undergoing a surgery. Are there any chances that anesthesia could cause any kinds of side effects for him during the surgery?
8 Answers
There are a myriad of side effects that can occur in an elderly patient. Speak to your physician anesthesiologist about his specific risks
Yes, they will be explained to you during the informed consent.
All anesthetics have potential side effects and they are specific to the type of anesthesia administered and which medications are used. Consult your anesthesiologist to learn about specific side effects for your specific anesthesia and surgery.
Hello,
This is a very difficult question to answer because it is so broad based. The answer to whether anesthesia can cause “any” side effect is yes because all medications cause side effects. If you take aspirin it causes an increase risk of bleeding, Tylenol increases risk of liver damage. Depending on the type of prostate surgery, his anesthetic will be custom taylored to his care and if he has any medical conditions, this will impact his care. There are many anesthetic agents and variations of care. General anesthesia can cause drowsiness, sore throat, nausea, etc.. Spinals can result in temporary numbness, and soreness in the back, it lowers blood pressure, etc. I’m sorry I cannot give you a specific answer because the answer depends on what type of prostate surgery he is having and if he has any other medical issues.
Dr Ketch
This is a very difficult question to answer because it is so broad based. The answer to whether anesthesia can cause “any” side effect is yes because all medications cause side effects. If you take aspirin it causes an increase risk of bleeding, Tylenol increases risk of liver damage. Depending on the type of prostate surgery, his anesthetic will be custom taylored to his care and if he has any medical conditions, this will impact his care. There are many anesthetic agents and variations of care. General anesthesia can cause drowsiness, sore throat, nausea, etc.. Spinals can result in temporary numbness, and soreness in the back, it lowers blood pressure, etc. I’m sorry I cannot give you a specific answer because the answer depends on what type of prostate surgery he is having and if he has any other medical issues.
Dr Ketch
It depends on his general health & reports from his Family MD, Lab work, the rest of the pre op. kidney, liver or heart diseases.
George A. Mampilly
Anesthesiologist
A healthy 72 year old can expect to have an uneventful anesthetic experience. Minor side effects like nausea/vomiting are possible. The anesthesiologist will likely explain some of the other side effects on the day of surgery, when they go over the consent.
Generally most patients prior to surgery are asked to be cleared medically by their internists. Once receiving a general clearance in addition the anesthesiologist will perform an evaluation and decide what type of anesthesia is best for your father. He/she should review any contraindications or side effects of anesthesia with him and look for any interactions with medications he may take. In the vast majority of cases this type of coordination helps ease any anxiety the patient and family may have with anesthetics and allow for safe administration of anesthesia.
Can't say much without knowing his medical history, medications he takes, and not seeing him in person. Also, it depends on type of surgery. In and of itself side effects are not common with most common beings nausea afterwards
