Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 10/30/2009

Question
I was wondering would you please tell me:  if a person get anesthetic to put them asleep for the doctors to perform a operation, then in recovery that person wakes up after the anesthetic wears off and then down the track that same person has to have anesthetic for another operation, does your body get use to the anesthetic the first time you had it?

P.S   I asking you this question because I had an operation while I was young so they put me to sleep with anesthetic, but now I'm worried that if they give me anesthetic again I wont wake up from it.

Thanks

Answer
No, one's body doesn't get used to or build-up a tolerance to anesthetics, so you should not be concerned about scheduling necessary surgery over this.  Of course, your anesthesiologist must review your own personal medical history to plan an anesthetic appropriate and safe for you.

[The matter has been studied from a number of points-of-view;  the most conclusive information coming from patients with very bad burns who must endure multiple anesthetics day after day  for debridement of their burned skin and then skin graft reconstruction involving dozens of anesthetics over many weeks and months:  anesthesia is rarely a problem for them.]