Tag: Anesthesia alternatives

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, a mentally competent adult patient has the right to refuse any medical treatment, including general anesthesia. This means that when facing a medical procedure, a patient can and should ask, "Can I refuse to be put to sleep for surgery?" to explore all available options with their medical team before making an informed decision.

Before safe and effective anesthetics became widely available around 175 years ago, surgery was a rare and perilous last resort. For patients anxious about modern sedation, a common question arises: **Can you ask for surgery without anesthesia?** The answer is more complex than a simple 'yes' or 'no' and is fundamentally tied to the procedure's nature and safety.