Myth check: does general anesthesia cause lasting brain fog?

Anesthesia side effects · 2 min read

We are advocates for awake surgery, and we still want you to have accurate information. So, here is a result that cuts the other way.

An evidence-based update reviewed 18 randomized trials comparing general with regional anesthesia. Delirium (11 to 43%) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (15 to 25%) were common in studies that looked for them, but the review found no significant increase in delirium and no significant association between general anesthesia exposure and cognitive dysfunction compared with regional anesthesia.

So what is the case for awake? Not that general anesthesia is dangerous for everyone. It is that if you do not need to be unconscious, you may prefer to avoid the tube, the grogginess and the nausea. And when general anesthesia is the better choice, we will say so and arrange it.

Honesty is a feature.

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References

1. Bryson GL, Wyand A. Evidence-based clinical update: general anesthesia and the risk of delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Can J Anaesth. 2006;669-677. PMID 16803914