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Every year, a wide range of surgical procedures will require the aid of anesthesia. For some people, going under can be more frightening than the actual procedure, and the fears are legitimate. In the 1970s, the death rate because of anesthesia was about one in every 10,000 patients. Since anesthesia is used in all manner of procedures from tooth extractions to more serious operations like heart transplants required anesthesia, a high number of Americans were exposed to the dangers of anesthesia.
Since the 1970s, major advances have been made, and anesthesia is safer than ever. The use of anesthesia blocks pain signals from traveling through the patient's nervous system, and the type of anesthesia administered depends on the condition and procedure performed. In the past, anesthesia was administered as drip ether through a mask, and a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff were the primary monitoring tools, if used at all. This is no longer the case, and doctors today are able to choose from a wide range of specific drugs targeted to specific bodily functions.
Monitoring equipment has drastically reduced the number of anesthesia-related complications, allowing deaths attributed to anesthesia to drop 25 fold to just one in 250,000. Helping reduce anesthesia related complications is the addition of a monitor called a pulse oximeter. The device is placed on the patient's fingertip to constantly measure the amount of oxygen in the patient's blood so that if the oxygen level drops for any reason alarm will sound.
A breathing tube, called an endotracheal tube, is usually placed in the trachea during general anesthesia, and a monitor can be used so that the position of the tube is known to alert the doctor if inadequate ventilation occurs during the procedure. The aid of other monitors can be used as well during anesthesia to keep track of the patient's heart rate, circulation, blood pressure, temperature, body fluid balance and other bodily functions.
Even with all the monitoring devices, every person reacts to anesthesia differently, and serious adverse effects can be suffered regardless of how many precautions are taken. Some people report experiencing awareness during the procedure, meaning they become aware of their surroundings, however, this considered a rare event, occurring in just about one-fifth of one percent of all surgeries. Other patients can have difficulty coming out of anesthesia. Experiencing awareness during surgery will not always mean the patient is aware of his or her surroundings, but having memories of the surgical procedure can be an extremely scarring event.
Efforts to reduce anesthesia-related adverse events have continued over the years, with stricter safety guidelines, more effective equipment, devices minimizing human error and a bar against leaving patients unattended during surgery. Still, serious risks are involved when under anesthesia for the more than 25 million surgical procedures performed every year in the U.S. Risks of anesthesia often depend on the particular procedure and condition of the patient, which the anesthesiologist should discuss in detail with each patient.
If you suspect that an anesthesia-related adverse event has accured during a procedure performed on you or a loved one, you may wish to speak with a trained and experienced legal professional. Please contact us to speak with an attorney who can evaluate your case to determine your legal rights and options.
Additional Information on Anesthesia Coming Soon.
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