Risks of Anaesthesia
Thousands of children and young around the world are anaesthetised each year to enable examinations, treatments or surgery. Many forms of anaesthesia are routinely performed while other forms require extensive preparation in consultation with different medical specialists.
Like any medicine, anaesthetics have associated risks for every person - young and old. However, after many years of developing equipment, medication, procedures and knowledge, the risks associated with anaesthesia have been significantly reduced and safe today. To put this in perspective, the risk of serious damage from anaesthesia is much less than the risk of travelling in a car.
This table gives an idea of risks and how often they might occur.
| Risk | Risk level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Restlessness | 1 in 10 | Very common |
| Sickness | 1 in 10 | Very common |
| Dizziness | 1 in 10 | Very common |
| Headache | 1 in 100 | Common |
| Chest infection | 1 in 1000 | Uncommon |
| Damage to teeth | 1 in 1000 | Uncommon |
| Awareness | 1 in 1000 | Uncommon |
| Serious allergy to drugs | 1 in 10.000 | Rare |
| Serious complication of local anesthesia | 1 in 10.000 | Rare |
| Serious complication of strong pain killers | 1 in 10.000 | Rare |
| Brain damage | < 1 in 100.000 | Very rare |
| Death | << 1 in 100.000 | Extremely rare |