I will have hernia surgery under general anesthesia and it's my very first surgery. Do you breathe on your own under general anesthesia?
Often, we must paralyze you to place a breathing tube and to allow for relaxation of your muscles for surgery. Therefore, you are under mechanical ventilation.
Dr. Kush Tripathi
Typically no, the machine breathes for you for 90% of the case. You start breathing on your own at the end when everything is almost done.
Boris Yaguda, M.D.