Going Under

Many People Will Likely Face A Surgery Involving General Anaesthetic At Some Point – But What Does The Process Of Being ‘Put Under’ Involve? We Asked The Experts To Give Us A Rundown Of What Happens In Theatre

When it comes to the matter of anaesthesia, the overriding feeling is usually one of fear. Fear of losing control. Fear of having to deal with lasting damage. Fear of waking up during the operation. Fear of never waking up again. So we’re here to relieve this fear by explaining exactly what goes on during anaesthesia. Professor Bernd Böttiger is the director of the Clinic of Anaesthesia and Surgical Intensive Care at Cologne University Hospital in Germany, and Neringa Willenberg, the head anaesthesia nurse. Here they go over what happens when we go under.

Are many patients scared of having an anaesthetic?

A NERINGA WILLENBERG: I think it’s predominantly the loss of control during anaesthesia that causes patients the most concern. What gets me most is when I notice people worrying more about their families than themselves before an operation. I often have to promise them to call the family immediately as soon as they have come to, and I then pass this information on to my colleague in the anaesthetic recovery room.

How do they respond when they wake up?

A PROFESSOR BÖTTIGER: I once had a patient who came out of their anaesthetic and promptly began shrieking. All the staff came running from the corridors. I still remember the surgeon’s questioning, almost accusatory, look. The patient would not calm down. When he finally spoke to me, three or four minutes later, he said, “I was having the best dream I’ve ever had in my life. And you woke me up!” There are indeed agents in the anaesthetic that cause these pleasant dreams. Another colleague I anaesthetised once also said to me, “That was so great. I’d be happy to have it again right now!”