This is the first I’ve really heard of it but I was reading a post on askreddit about things a person would take back if they could, and a surprising number of the answers were “i would’ve not gone into my leg surgery, because afterwards I woke up 15 days later with a TBI and ill never be the same”.
This kinda scared the shit out of me; and I just wanted to know if there’s and actual noticeable risk, or what causes it?
In: Biology
Not a doctor but a serious complication for surgery is a blood clot which after forming can break away and lodge in some other part of the body such as the brain. DVTs – deep vein thrombosis – are especially prevalent in the legs and often caused by injury to vessels, including from surgery. [Edit: as u/walniw mentions below, this is a rare complication. Talk to your doctor about surgery risks.]
It’s pretty rare, but there can be problems from anesthesia that leave someone brain damaged. My cousin had surgery and came out of the surgery blind (surgery unrelated to his eyes). Anesthesia actually has the potential to be very dangerous but we typically have no problems because the anesthesiologist is very skilled.
As a surgery nurse of 14 years- I’d say this is a pretty rare issue. As others have said- specifically long bone (leg) surgery, joint replacement, etc. causes an increase risk of blood clots which can travel to the lungs and cause sudden death. Of course pts after neuro surgery are at risk for brain damage but your average surgery usually goes off without a hitch.
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