Is a breathing tube necessary with a general anesthetic?
Yes. After you are asleep and throughout general anesthesia you will have a plastic tube (called an endotracheal tube) placed in your breathing passage to assure good breathing and to protect against the silent flow of stomach contents into the lungs. This tube will be removed as you awaken, and most people are totally unaware of its having been in place. Occasionally, a slight soreness in the throat may occur a few hours after surgery and may remain for a day or so. Insertion of an endotracheal tube is a most important practice since it saves lives by preventing the often fatal pneumonia caused by stomach contents flowing into the lungs.
