Everyone reacts differently under anesthesia. Some wake up from anesthesia normally, others are dazed and others feel terribly tired. But in rare cases, very strange behavior can also occur.
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Studies from the 1980s suggest that almost a fifth of all people who were anesthetized for medical procedures had difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy.
Around 14% report sexual dreams or arousal during anesthesia. In some cases, patients perform sexual acts or touch each other during anesthesia. There are even reports of doctors being kissed.
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Strange behaviour can also occur after anesthesia
Around 20 % of patients, and as many as 30 to 40 % of those over 60, experience delirium, a confused state, after anesthesia. Anesthetists compare this to waking up after an intense nightmare in which you no longer know where you are.
Disorientation, delusions and hallucinations can be part of this delirium. Other symptoms of this delirium include drowsiness, lack of interest and apathy, impaired attention and perception of the surroundings as well as a poorer memory. However, this does not usually last long.
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This article has been translated from Gentside DE.
Sources used:
The Sun: The bizarre things patients do while under anaesthetic – from kissing doctors to masturbating
Tagesspiegel: Nach der Narkose: Das Aufwachen wird zu einem Albtraum
NDR: Delir-Risiko Narkose: Vergesslich nach OP
