The fear of sedation

Our patients have gradually stopped being afraid of the surgery itself and of its possible unsatisfactory results. But the fear of sedation remains. Perhaps this is due to the many urban legends about full anesthesia shortening the life-expectancy, etc. Let me answer some of the most common questions my patients ask me:

– How long does sedation last?

The sedation begins and you fall asleep about 10-15 minutes before the actual surgery. 5-10 minutes after the planned treatment is completed, you are fully awake. Modern conscious sedation makes it possible to control the depth of your sleep during surgery. The anesthesiologist has full control over the duration of your sedation.

– When will I wake up after surgery?

You wake up after the completion of surgery, most often 5-10 minutes after the end of the procedure. And you are ready to go home in about 20 minutes, but you should have a companion. Someone must accompany you home (or to your hotel, as the case may be). It is best if it is a friend or relative, and not merely a driver. At your request, this can also be a member of our staff. The first 10-20 minutes you will feel sleepy and the conversation with you will be at a slow pace. Some patients recall their dreams, while under sedation. Sometimes the patient may remember the surgeon’s words from the beginning or the end of the operation, but they perceived them as having happened during the manipulation.

– Can I wake up during surgery?

It happens sometimes, but as a rule, patients do not remember any of this. They just open their eyes and then drift away again.

– And is it possible that I don’t wake up?

For 8 years and over 2000 sedations of both children and adults, there has never been an accident like this! In our franchise group, we have over 15 years of experience and dozens of thousands of patients, without any accidents like this. Of course, there is always a certain medical risk, but with the strict observation of working rules and algorithms, as well as when using cutting-edge equipment, this risk is extremely low.