At 73, Sherman Sizemore, Jr. underwent an exploratory surgery to find the cause of abdominal pain. Joshua Lang, journalist for The Atlantic, wrote how Sizemore behaved strangely after the operation, feared being left alone, complained he was suffocating, and claimed people were trying to bury him alive. Sizemore even refused to see his grandchildren. Sizemore also suffered from insomnia. When he was lucky enough to sleep—if it even could be considered lucky—he suffered from vivid nightmares. In as little as two weeks following the day of his surgery, Sizemore shot himself—with no traces of psychiatric illness.
Linda Campbell’s story began when she was four years old, when her appendix burst. During her surgery, nothing noticeable went wrong. However, Campbell’s family observed she was not same after the operation, as she was before. Once a quiet girl, she began to act vehemently, throwing temper tantrums and having severe nightmares. “They were about people being cut open, lots of blood, lots of violence,” says Campbell. She avoided everyone except those closest to her, yet refused to be alone. Forty years later, Campbell finally discovered what had happened—she had been awake on the operating table, with anesthesia to blame.
Anesthesia. Insensitivity to pain, as artificially induced by the administration of gases or the injection of drugs before surgical operations; the induction of this state, or the branch of medicine concerned with it. For many of us, it would be the definite first choice. However, anesthesia is not perfect, and other options need to be considered. There have been many cases where anesthesia has drastically changed a person’s life. Potential harms caused by anesthesia affect both adults and children. Fortunately, there are safe alternatives.
Anesthesia awareness, where a patient can become conscious during surgery and afterwards recall what occurred, is a rare but dangerous occurrence—and often results in a need for counseling to ease anxiety. According to Lifeline to Modern Medicine, supported by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, immediate symptoms consist of sensations of paralysis, anxiety, helplessness, and panic. Along with symptoms caused directly by anesthesia awareness, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder causes yet more symptoms. Richard Novak, California Deputy Chief of Anesthesia at Stanford University Department of Anesthesia, found that up to 70% of patients develop this disorder. The symptoms include chronic fear, nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, depression, and fixation on death.
As in Linda Campbell’s story, children can be affected by anesthesia as well. There are multiple ways a child can be harmed if they are exposed to anesthesia. Exposure before age of three raises the chance of developmental problems later in life. An article reviewed by Louise Chang, assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, notes a few issues likely to occur: behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and a 73% increase in chance of difficulty with abstract reasoning. Randall Flick, a Mayo Clinic pediatric anesthesiologist, states that anesthesia in animals speeds up cell death and harms developing brains. Though this evidence is less distinct in humans, children are still not shielded from the effects of anesthesia. Even after seeing the potential harms of anesthesia, most people will just brush this information off—undergoing a surgery without anesthesia is completely out of the question. Understandable, but there are other options to be considered—nerve blocks and hypnosis.
Nerve blocks are the first alternative. Compare it to the injection a person receives at the dentist before a cavity filling. It numbs the area being operated on. ScienceDaily, an online magazine that features articles discussing the latest scientific discoveries, explains doctors can identify the location of the nerves by using ultrasound, and through a catheter (a thin tube) inject a nerve numbing medication into the area. A single injection can last a maximum of one day. If needed, a continuous infusion can be given. Giving more permanent pain relief is a complete destruction of the nerve. Many side effects caused by anesthesia aren’t experienced by those who choose nerve blocks. “They can breathe on their own; and don’t require a breathing tube like general anesthesia does. What this allows patients to do is enjoy a better recovery in terms of having less mental confusion, less nausea, and pain relief is very specific to the sight," reports Edward Mariano, director of regional anesthesia at University of California San Diego. Nerve blocks can be used for many operations, such as joint replacement and vascular surgery. After surgeries, patients recover at a faster rate and require less pain medication.
Nerve blocks might bear a strong resemblance to anesthesia for certain people. Hypnosis might sound more reassuring. Sebastian Schulz-Stubner, UI assistant professor of anesthesia, describes it simply as changing the perception of pain. Hypnosis only affects the conscious levels of the brain. There are multiple advantages to using hypnosis in place of anesthesia in a surgery. For instance, during childbirth. Hypnosis decreases the percentage of discomfort throughout the process for the mother, and the baby also benefits. Bob Large, who has been cited by Australia's ABC, points out the babies are born less sedated. As for after the operation—less pain and a quicker healing process.
Anesthesia is not the perfect, amazing, and wonderful solution that people give it credit for. Ask Linda Campbell, who experienced a complete change in personality. If anesthesia hadn’t caused Sherman Sizemore, Jr. to kill himself, he could be asked, too. Over half the patients that underwent surgery using anesthesia contracted Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Children have to deal with developmental problems later in life, as a result of a choice their parents made. Other options, such as nerve blocks and hypnosis, need to be examined and given a chance. Don’t let others be lured into the trap; who knows, you might just save a life.