Researchers tested cognitive abilities in mice after putting them under and found the mice underperformed on the tests they were given for up to a week after being anesthetized.
“It’s assumed that once the drugs are eliminated, our memories are going to go back to normal,” said Beverly Orser, MD, a co-author of the study, in a Live Science report. “But when we test patients before and after a surgical procedure, a large number exhibit deficits in memory performance.”
Dr. Orser and her co-authors suggest patients should be better warned of the potential risks to cognitive abilities of anesthesia before they go under the knife, according to the Live Science report.
More articles on anesthesia:
Southern Medical Association names Dr. Mark Williams president
10 anesthesiologists on the move
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