Anesthesia paralyzes your muscles. This stops movement in the intestinal tract. Until your intestines "wake up," there is no movement of stool.
General anesthesia slows down your digestive system, and the slower it is, the harder your stool. You may be given other medications during surgery that also slow your gut. And some pain medications like opioids, given after surgery, also slow digestion.
Pain medications, diuretics, muscle relaxants, and anesthesia can cause constipation in some people. Opioids, in particular, can reduce bowel movements.
Urination Problems
General anesthesia paralyzes the bladder muscles. This can make it not only hard to pee, but impact your ability to recognize that you have to urinate. Additionally, many surgeries involve the placement of a Foley catheter—a tube put in the body to drain urine from the bladder.
After surgery, your caregivers will frequently ask whether you have passed gas. This is because passing gas is a sign that your bowels are returning to normal. You may not have a bowel movement for four to five days following surgery.
Frequent and/or loose stools are common. It takes your body time to adjust after an operation. Avoid foods which seem to cause diarrhea or gas. If you are having more than 5-6 movements each day, talk with your doctor unless you were told to expect this.
Each segment of the gastrointestinal tract recovers activity at a different rate after surgical manipulation. The small intestine recovers motility within several hours, the stomach within 24 to 48 hours, and the colon in 3 to 5 days.
The process of waking up from anesthesia is known as emergence. During emergence, the anesthesiologist will slowly reduce the amount of anesthetic drugs in the body. This helps to reduce the intensity of the effects of anesthesia and allows the patient to regain consciousness.
There is continuous monitoring of the electrical activity in your heart, the amount of oxygen in your blood, your pulse rate, and blood pressure. Sometimes a device is used to monitor your brain waves while 'asleep', giving the doctor more detailed information about your level of unconsciousness.
Will I Need a Catheter During My Surgery? If you're being completely sedated, you will probably need a catheter. You can talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have.
Surgery - Especially abdominal surgery, for any reason; surgery is the most common cause of ileus. This is due to manipulation of the intestines and exposure to the open air. This causes the intestines to go to sleep for up to several days after surgery.
So after surgery sometimes your intestines can shut down. It's called an ileus and it basically means that the intestines aren't actively moving food forward, and so if that's happening then you can't eat yet.
Unfortunately, constipation is a common side effect of surgery. It can happen for a few different reasons: the anesthesia used during the procedure, pain medications you're taking or how much and what you're eating and drinking.
Some studies have found that types of anesthesia like nitrous oxide may have links to bowel distress and gastrointestinal issues. Another common side effect of anesthesia is an increased chance of becoming constipated, leading to bloating, excess gas, and general discomfort.
Although doctors often say that you'll be asleep during surgery, research has shown that going under anesthesia is nothing like sleep. “Even in the deepest stages of sleep, with prodding and poking we can wake you up,” says Brown.
Anesthesia is nothing like that. During sleep, the brain moves between the slow waves of non-REM sleep and the fast waves of REM sleep. Under general anesthesia, brain waves are held hostage in the same state and remain there for the length of the operation.
Anesthesia won't make you confess your deepest secrets
“Patients are sometimes concerned about receiving medication that might cause them to say things they regret later,” says Dr. Meisinger. It's normal to feel relaxed while receiving anesthesia, but most people don't say anything unusual.
The breathing tube is removed at the end of the procedure as you start to awaken. Someone from the anesthesia care team monitors you while you sleep. This anesthesia team member adjusts your medicines, breathing, temperature, fluids and blood pressure as needed.
Intubation, the insertion of a tube into the patient's trachea to maintain a secure airway and facilitate oxygen delivery, is often associated with general anesthesia. However, intubation is not universally required for general anesthesia. It may be deemed unnecessary for brief procedures involving healthy patients.
Among the things the anesthesiologist measures or observes, and uses to guide the type and amount of anesthetic given are: heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, breathing rate or pattern, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and exhaled anesthetic concentration.
Waking up from anesthesia can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the type of anesthesia used and the individual's response to it. Generally, most people wake up within 30 minutes of the anesthesia being administered.
You will spend 45 minutes to 2 hours in a recovery room where nurses will watch you closely. You may stay longer depending on your surgery and how fast you wake up from the anesthesia. Your nurse will watch all of your vital signs and help you if you have any side effects. You may have some discomfort when you wake up.
You should also have a good bowel movement the day before surgery. To ensure that you do, you can use a fleet enema or a mild laxative. This will help reduce postoperative gas and intestinal discomfort. It is important that you get a good night's sleep before your surgery.