Waking up after anesthesia
recovery room · waking up after surgery · coming out of anesthesia · after anesthesia
After surgery you are taken to the recovery room. There you wake up under the watch of nurses and a doctor.
After any operation or procedure under general anesthesia or sedation.
⏱ Duration: usually 30 minutes to 2 hours, then you are moved to a ward or go home
Be sure to tell your doctor
How to prepare
- In advance. Ask how long you will stay in the recovery room and when your family can see you.
- Going home. If it is day surgery, arrange for someone to pick you up and stay with you for the first day.
What to bring
- Glasses, hearing aid: give them to the staff
- A relative's phone number
How it goes
- You wake up with sensors on you and an oxygen mask or tubes
- A nurse asks how you are and watches your blood pressure and breathing
- If you are in pain or feel sick, say so and you will be given medicine
- When you are awake and all is well, you are moved to a ward or prepared for discharge
What you'll feel
- Sleepiness, heaviness, foggy thoughts
- A dry mouth, sometimes a scratchy throat
- Sometimes cold, shivering or nausea
- You may not remember the first hours. This is normal
Afterwards
- Get up for the first time only with help from staff
- Drinking and eating start when the doctor allows
- For a day after anesthesia, do not drive and do not make important decisions
Contact a doctor straight away if
- Trouble breathing or chest pain: tell the nurse at once
- At home: extreme drowsiness, cannot be woken: call your local emergency number
Common questions
Why am I shivering after anesthesia?
This happens because of the medicines and the cool operating room. You will be covered and warmed.
When can my relatives come in?
Usually after you are moved to a ward. Rules differ, so ask the clinic.