How safe is anesthesia today?
Tremendous advances have been made over the last 20 years in the field of anesthesiology. Modern anesthetic drugs are safer, shorter acting, and have fewer side effects than those used in the past. These advances have helped make same day, ambulatory surgery possible. Modern, reliable monitoring as well as highly qualified and trained anesthesiologists has further reduced the already low risk of anesthesia. Of course, surgery and anesthesia still involve some risk. But objectively and statistically, modern anesthesia is extremely safe.
