Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding General AnesthesiaWhat Is Propofol?How Does Propofol Work?Propofol In the Surgical SettingHow Do They Wake You Up From Propofol?Preparing For General AnesthesiaSide EffectsAlternative Treatment OptionsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Understanding General Anesthesia
What Is Propofol?
How Does Propofol Work?
Propofol In the Surgical Setting
How Do They Wake You Up From Propofol?
Preparing For General Anesthesia
Side Effects
Alternative Treatment Options
Frequently Asked Questions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved propofol for inducing or starting anesthesia and maintaining it. It is also approved for keeping you sleepy orsedatedwith other medications.
The sedative effects of propofol only last for a short time, about three to five minutes following one standard dose, so an individual must administer it throughout the entire surgery.
Understanding your surgical procedures and how you will be put to sleep and woken up is essential. Anesthesia is one aspect ofsurgery that creates a risk, albeit low risk. The risk of dying from general anesthesia is less than 1 in 100,000.
This article will discuss how propofol and general anesthesia work and how they are reversed after your procedure.
Isaac Lee / Getty Images
The purpose of general anesthesia is to take away sensation and consciousness so that you are unaware of the surgery and cannot feel pain during a procedure that would otherwise cause extreme and unbearable pain.
General anesthesia is necessary for most types ofmajor surgery, such asknee and hip replacements, heart surgeries, and many procedures that treat cancer, such as amastectomy.
General anesthesia is highly effective in keeping you unaware of your surgical procedure.
Millions of surgeries take place across the United States and around the world every day using general anesthesia.
Role of Anesthesiologists
This makes the procedure more comfortable and safer because keeping your body completely still can make your surgeon as precise as possible.
This type of healthcare provider will be in charge of keeping you asleep and pain-free throughout your procedure.
Administering Anesthesia
Factors that influence the medications chosen may include your medical status and the preference and experience of your anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist.
This type of anesthesia is common during major surgical procedures but is only used when necessary.
Alternative Forms of Anesthesia
If possible, you may instead undergolocal anesthesia, in which the medication only removes sensation from one part of your body, but you are not unconscious.
One other type of anesthesia apart from general is calledMAC (monitored anesthesia care), where you are kept sleepy and given pain medication but still breathe independently.
Specific Types and Classes
Some specific types or classes of general anesthesia include:
Propofol is a generic non-barbiturate sedative.
However, propofol does not come in combination with any other drug, nor is it found in any other drug product.
The FDA approves propofol for the following uses:
The only way to administer propofol is through an IV. It should only be used to induce or start anesthesia in a person who is at least 3 years old.
Propofol may occasionally be used for other purposes besides those listed above, such asstatus epilepticusin children and adults or to treat nausea and vomiting after surgery.
Propofol and COVID-19
One study evaluated people with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over two years who were mechanically ventilated and had their sedation maintained with propofol.
The study found decreased mortality in those who received propofol for more than 48 hours.
These positive effects may be due to propofol’s antiviral effects and its ability to help control an overactive immune system from producing too much inflammation.
No specific data exists about how commonly propofol is used compared to other anesthetic agents.
Still, it is an increasingly popular choice among anesthesia providers due to the quick emergence from sedation or the tendency for you to wake up after surgery quickly.
It also has less of a “hangover” effect during recovery than other agents.
How exactly propofol works to induce anesthesia has yet to be understood entirely.
Receptors betweenneuronsare responsible for receiving these chemical messages, and a critical type of receptor is theγ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA)receptor.
GABAA receptors are found all along your brain and spinal cord and are considered a significant target that general anesthetics block.
Before your surgical procedure begins, you will get a line or catheter placed in your arm to provide access to your veins orIV access.
Before you are taken into the operating room for surgery, this short discussion will occur with your anesthesiologist.
Once they have affirmed that it is safe, your anesthesiologist will use your IV line to administer propofol as a liquid into your blood. The medication works quickly and typically puts you to sleep in under a minute.
Throughout the procedure, the anesthesiologist will monitor yourvital signs, including your heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, temperature, and body fluid balance, to ensure safety and comfort.
The anesthesiologist will only stop the propofol infusion once your procedure is almost done or complete due to the expeditious manner in which your body clears propofol.
They are very skilled at knowing when exactly to discontinue this medication relative to the progress of your surgery.
The act of stopping propofol from infusing into your veins will wake you up from propofol.
This is because the medication is cleared very quickly from your body, so if it stops infusing, you will wake up within minutes.
Right after you wake up, or in the post-operation period, signs that you safely tolerated propofol include typical vital signs, including pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen level, and no or few minor side effects.
Requirements for using propofol include appropriate age and lack of an allergy to the drug formulation.
Be sure your surgeon has a complete list of medications you take, as somemay need to be pausedfor a certain amount of time before you undergo surgery.
Some conditions may prevent the possibility of treatment with propofol. For example, the drug formulation containsegg lecithinandsoybean oil. Therefore, it cannot be used in people with allergies to these components.
Your surgeon or surgeon’s office should have your complete medical history, including allergies, conditions, alcohol or substance use, smoking status, and medications you take.
They will use this information to give you complete directions on everything you need to do before and after going under general anesthesia.
Side Effects and Precautions
Some people experience no side effects from general anesthesia, while others may experience a few.
These side effects are generally short-lasting, typically right after the anesthesia in the minutes to hours after surgery.
Potential side effects of propofol include:
If you can’t take propofol, your surgical team can adjust and use alternative options.
There are a variety of types of anesthesia. Propofol is not the only drug available for inducing general anesthesia.
Other intravenous drugs used to induce anesthesia include etomidate,ketamine, and short-acting barbiturates such as thiopental and methohexital.
These medications come with their pros and cons, just like propofol, and still allow a professional to administer safe anesthesia to people unable to use propofol.
Summary
If you have allergies to egg or soy, you will not be able to receive propofol, but your surgery team will be able to adjust and use other anesthetic drugs.
You may receive reversal agents for medications besides propofol that are also used to make you sleepy during surgery.
Frequently Asked QuestionsPentothal is similar to propofol in that it is also a sedative and is used to induce anesthesia. Still, it belongs to a drug class called barbiturates, while propofol is a non-barbiturate anesthetic.Pentothal causes relatively more respiratory depression compared to propofol.People who received pentothal also had longer recovery times compared to those who received propofol for anesthesia.Propofol begins working very quickly. When given at a dose intended to induce anesthesia, you will fall asleep within 40 seconds to 1 minute.Propofol is lipid-soluble, which means it can easily pass through yourblood-brain barrier (BBB)and into yourcentral nervous system (CNS)with very little resistance. This is why it begins to work so quickly.
Pentothal is similar to propofol in that it is also a sedative and is used to induce anesthesia. Still, it belongs to a drug class called barbiturates, while propofol is a non-barbiturate anesthetic.Pentothal causes relatively more respiratory depression compared to propofol.People who received pentothal also had longer recovery times compared to those who received propofol for anesthesia.
Pentothal is similar to propofol in that it is also a sedative and is used to induce anesthesia. Still, it belongs to a drug class called barbiturates, while propofol is a non-barbiturate anesthetic.
Pentothal causes relatively more respiratory depression compared to propofol.
People who received pentothal also had longer recovery times compared to those who received propofol for anesthesia.
Propofol begins working very quickly. When given at a dose intended to induce anesthesia, you will fall asleep within 40 seconds to 1 minute.Propofol is lipid-soluble, which means it can easily pass through yourblood-brain barrier (BBB)and into yourcentral nervous system (CNS)with very little resistance. This is why it begins to work so quickly.
Propofol begins working very quickly. When given at a dose intended to induce anesthesia, you will fall asleep within 40 seconds to 1 minute.
Propofol is lipid-soluble, which means it can easily pass through yourblood-brain barrier (BBB)and into yourcentral nervous system (CNS)with very little resistance. This is why it begins to work so quickly.
22 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Label: propofol injectable emulsion injection, emulsion.DailyMed.Label: Diprivan- propofol injection, emulsion.Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug & chemical evaluation section.Propofol.NHS.Anesthesia.Yale Medicine.General anesthesia.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Role of anesthesiologist.MedlinePlus.General anesthesia.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Local anesthesia.Das S, Ghosh S.Monitored anesthesia care: an overview.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2015;31(1):27-9. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.150525DailyMed.Label: Amidate- etomidate injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: nitrous oxide- nitrous oxide gas.DailyMed.Label: sevoflurane liquid.National Institutes of Health.How anesthetics and benzodiazepine affect the brain differently.DailyMed:Label: morphine sulfate tablet.DailyMed.Label: fentanyl citrate injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: succinylcholine chloride injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: rocuronium bromide injection, solution.Heuser K, Olsen KB, Ulvin LB, Gjerstad L, Taubøll E.Modern treatment of status epilepticus in adults. In: Czuczwar SJ, editor. Epilepsy. Brisbane (AU):Exon Publications; 2022. Chapter 5.Saha P, Mahat S, Ahmed A, et al.Clinical outcomes of using propofol in patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation.Chest. 2022;162(4):A830–A831.Alwardt CM, Redford D, Larson DF.General anesthesia in cardiac surgery: a review of drugs and practices.J Extra Corpor Technol. 2005;37(2):227-35.Son Y.Molecular mechanisms of general anesthesia.Korean J Anesthesiol. 2010;59(1):3-8.Wong M.Reversal agents in sedation and anesthesia practice for dentistry.Anesth Prog. 2022 1;69(1):49-58. doi:10.2344/anpr-69-01-09
22 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.DailyMed.Label: propofol injectable emulsion injection, emulsion.DailyMed.Label: Diprivan- propofol injection, emulsion.Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug & chemical evaluation section.Propofol.NHS.Anesthesia.Yale Medicine.General anesthesia.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Role of anesthesiologist.MedlinePlus.General anesthesia.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Local anesthesia.Das S, Ghosh S.Monitored anesthesia care: an overview.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2015;31(1):27-9. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.150525DailyMed.Label: Amidate- etomidate injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: nitrous oxide- nitrous oxide gas.DailyMed.Label: sevoflurane liquid.National Institutes of Health.How anesthetics and benzodiazepine affect the brain differently.DailyMed:Label: morphine sulfate tablet.DailyMed.Label: fentanyl citrate injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: succinylcholine chloride injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: rocuronium bromide injection, solution.Heuser K, Olsen KB, Ulvin LB, Gjerstad L, Taubøll E.Modern treatment of status epilepticus in adults. In: Czuczwar SJ, editor. Epilepsy. Brisbane (AU):Exon Publications; 2022. Chapter 5.Saha P, Mahat S, Ahmed A, et al.Clinical outcomes of using propofol in patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation.Chest. 2022;162(4):A830–A831.Alwardt CM, Redford D, Larson DF.General anesthesia in cardiac surgery: a review of drugs and practices.J Extra Corpor Technol. 2005;37(2):227-35.Son Y.Molecular mechanisms of general anesthesia.Korean J Anesthesiol. 2010;59(1):3-8.Wong M.Reversal agents in sedation and anesthesia practice for dentistry.Anesth Prog. 2022 1;69(1):49-58. doi:10.2344/anpr-69-01-09
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
DailyMed.Label: propofol injectable emulsion injection, emulsion.DailyMed.Label: Diprivan- propofol injection, emulsion.Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug & chemical evaluation section.Propofol.NHS.Anesthesia.Yale Medicine.General anesthesia.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Role of anesthesiologist.MedlinePlus.General anesthesia.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Local anesthesia.Das S, Ghosh S.Monitored anesthesia care: an overview.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2015;31(1):27-9. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.150525DailyMed.Label: Amidate- etomidate injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: nitrous oxide- nitrous oxide gas.DailyMed.Label: sevoflurane liquid.National Institutes of Health.How anesthetics and benzodiazepine affect the brain differently.DailyMed:Label: morphine sulfate tablet.DailyMed.Label: fentanyl citrate injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: succinylcholine chloride injection, solution.DailyMed.Label: rocuronium bromide injection, solution.Heuser K, Olsen KB, Ulvin LB, Gjerstad L, Taubøll E.Modern treatment of status epilepticus in adults. In: Czuczwar SJ, editor. Epilepsy. Brisbane (AU):Exon Publications; 2022. Chapter 5.Saha P, Mahat S, Ahmed A, et al.Clinical outcomes of using propofol in patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation.Chest. 2022;162(4):A830–A831.Alwardt CM, Redford D, Larson DF.General anesthesia in cardiac surgery: a review of drugs and practices.J Extra Corpor Technol. 2005;37(2):227-35.Son Y.Molecular mechanisms of general anesthesia.Korean J Anesthesiol. 2010;59(1):3-8.Wong M.Reversal agents in sedation and anesthesia practice for dentistry.Anesth Prog. 2022 1;69(1):49-58. doi:10.2344/anpr-69-01-09
DailyMed.Label: propofol injectable emulsion injection, emulsion.
DailyMed.Label: Diprivan- propofol injection, emulsion.
Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug & chemical evaluation section.Propofol.
NHS.Anesthesia.
Yale Medicine.General anesthesia.
American Society of Anesthesiologists.Role of anesthesiologist.
MedlinePlus.General anesthesia.
American Society of Anesthesiologists.Local anesthesia.
Das S, Ghosh S.Monitored anesthesia care: an overview.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2015;31(1):27-9. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.150525
DailyMed.Label: Amidate- etomidate injection, solution.
DailyMed.Label: nitrous oxide- nitrous oxide gas.
DailyMed.Label: sevoflurane liquid.
National Institutes of Health.How anesthetics and benzodiazepine affect the brain differently.
DailyMed:Label: morphine sulfate tablet.
DailyMed.Label: fentanyl citrate injection, solution.
DailyMed.Label: succinylcholine chloride injection, solution.
DailyMed.Label: rocuronium bromide injection, solution.
Heuser K, Olsen KB, Ulvin LB, Gjerstad L, Taubøll E.Modern treatment of status epilepticus in adults. In: Czuczwar SJ, editor. Epilepsy. Brisbane (AU):Exon Publications; 2022. Chapter 5.
Saha P, Mahat S, Ahmed A, et al.Clinical outcomes of using propofol in patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation.Chest. 2022;162(4):A830–A831.
Alwardt CM, Redford D, Larson DF.General anesthesia in cardiac surgery: a review of drugs and practices.J Extra Corpor Technol. 2005;37(2):227-35.
Son Y.Molecular mechanisms of general anesthesia.Korean J Anesthesiol. 2010;59(1):3-8.
Wong M.Reversal agents in sedation and anesthesia practice for dentistry.Anesth Prog. 2022 1;69(1):49-58. doi:10.2344/anpr-69-01-09
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
