What does general anesthesia do to the brain?

Research published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggested that there are nearly 3 million general anesthesia procedures in the UK each year. You might already be aware that there are various different types of anesthesia: local, which numbs a small area of the body; regional, which numbs a larger part; and general, typically used for major or lengthy surgeries, where the patient is completely asleep. Today we’re going to be talking specifically about general anesthesia. How exactly does it knock patients unconscious then? How does it affect the brain? Isn't it dangerous? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠Why should you be happy to see spiders in your home?⁠ ⁠How do you build up your brain power?⁠ ⁠Which flights are most likely to be hit by turbulence?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 8/6/2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices