“Going Under”
Anesthesia is intended to relieve pain and keep you safe and stable during surgery. But it’s normal to worry about being unconscious. Some patients are even concerned about not regaining consciousness.
L. Melvin Elting is former chief of surgery at Riverdell Hospital in New Jersey. He is co-author of the book The Consumer's Guide to Successful Surgery. Elting says that many people associate anesthesia with regular sleeping. But slumber is only a side effect.
If you went to sleep and surgery began, you'd wake up in a hurry. Sleep involves shutting off the highest brain recognition centers derived from the senses. But it only takes a mild stimulus to peak them to alarm.
The unconsciousness or "deep sleep" required for surgery is another matter. The deep sleep required for loss of sensation of pain takes place in stages. It starts with a gradual dozing off. Eventually there is a drifting into paralysis so that the nerve responses are dampened. Unconsciousness must then be maintained during surgery. That way you are not aware of your surroundings. And you do not experience pain.
Traditional problems associated with anesthesia included drug hangover, nausea, and awareness. These have been lessened by better drugs, improved monitoring, and specialized training.