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Did I receive too much anesthesia?

Jun 6, 2019 | Doctor Errors, Firm News, Hospital Negligence

No one wants to feel the physical pain of going through a surgical procedure. In addition to it hurting, physical pain also puts a lot of stress on the body and can affect the outcome of the surgery.

Thankfully, there are several options available to either numb an area of the body or to block sensation entirely so that your doctor can perform surgery. There are times, however, when an anesthesiologist will err on the side of too much anesthesia and cause damage. As you recover, these are some of the signs you may have received too much anesthesia during surgery.

Know the Common vs. Uncommon Side Effects of Anesthesia

When you start to wake up from being under anesthesia, there are some typical side effects to watch for, including:

  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Sleepiness
  • Itchiness
  • Shivering/chills

In most cases, when you have symptoms like these, it is no cause for alarm. While there is no harm in letting your care team know you are experiencing them, for most patients, these symptoms wear off.

Side Effects of Too Much Anesthesia 

Trying to figure out how much anesthesia a patient needs can be difficult, but in most cases, your anesthesiologist can use your medical information to decide the right dosage for you so that you can get through your surgery. When you receive too much, however, sometimes the signs are after you are awake and the surgery is over. Signs that you may have had a bad reaction to the anesthesia, include:

  • Confusion
  • Aspiration/pneumonia
  • Difficulty urinating

Although you may feel like you have monitors that will communicate your every imaginable need to the medical staff, you should still talk to your medical team if something feels abnormal. If you have a case, contact our firm today for a free consultation.

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