Patient Opinions and Side Effects Before and After General Anesthesia for Surgery

Abstract

As the number of surgical procedures performed the world over continues to increase, so does the number of anesthetic procedures needed for those surgeries to occur. While much thought and research has been focused on the perspective of the anesthesiologist, little has been explored from the perspective of the patient receiving anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to explore the general public's opinions and experiences of general anesthesia, as well as any change in their perception after having undergone a procedure requiring it. We decided that further inquiry into the subject was warranted, and we decided to run an online Qualtrics survey in order to make that inquiry. The key takeaway from our online anonymous survey shows that there is a significant amount of anxiety related to anesthesia, but that most people specify a large decrease in said anxiety after having undergone the procedure. Noticeably, people were made more comfortable by discussing anesthesia with people who had lived through the experience, and people believed they would be significantly comforted by the presence of therapy animals prior to beginning their procedures. We hope that our exploratory research will promote future research into this topic in order to improve the healthcare outcomes of a significant number of patients. We believe that this data has opened up many potential avenues for further exploration and research, as well as potentially being able to guide surgical practice.

Keywords: anesthesia; general anesthesia; propofol; sedation; surgery.

Figure 1. Patient self-reported effects from general anesthesia (GA)

We asked participants, "Do you believe you experienced any side effects as a result of the anesthesia?" We provided a list of side effects participants could select from as well as an “other” option allowing for input from the participant

Figure 2. Perceived interventions that would improve participant level of comfort toward general anesthesia (GA)

We asked participants, “What interventions do you believe would most likely help you feel more comfortable undergoing general anesthesia?” We provided a list of interventions participants could select from as well as an “other” option allowing for input from the participant