General anesthesia suppresses immune function in surgical patients.

the verdict

CONTESTED PARTIAL

Recorded sources

5 sources for · 1 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that general anesthesia suppresses immune function in surgical patients?

Partly. Several reviews and trials indicate that general anesthesia, or the anesthetic drugs and techniques used, can affect immune parameters such as lymphocyte counts and NK cell activity, though much of this evidence is hedged or confounded by surgical trauma. One narrative review concludes that general anesthesia's immune effects are not considerable in healthy patients undergoing short-term surgery, with postoperative changes mainly attributable to surgical trauma.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 5 sources for, 1 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

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Evidence for · 5

Frontiers | The relationship between anesthesia, surgery and postoperative immune function in cancer patients: a review

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Frontiers | The relationship between anesthesia, surgery and postoperative immune function in cancer patients: a review. (n.d.). frontiersin.org. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1441020/full

Evidence against · 1

General Anesthetics on Immune System Cytokines: A Narrative Review Article -

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General Anesthetics on Immune System Cytokines: A Narrative Review Article - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.5812/aapm.103033

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More for · 4

Effects of Different General Anesthesia Methods on Immune Responses in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Tongue Cancer

2013

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Effects of Different General Anesthesia Methods on Immune Responses in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Tongue Cancer. (2013). clinicaltrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01854021

Effect of Remimazolam- Vs Propofol-Based Intravenous Anesthesia on Surgical Stress Response and Post-Operative Immune Function in Patients with Gastric Radical Surgery

2024

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Xu, Q., Cheng, X., Sun, H., Su, G., Fei, Y., Wang, C., & Han, C. (2024). Effect of Remimazolam- Vs Propofol-Based Intravenous Anesthesia on Surgical Stress Response and Post-Operative Immune Function in Patients with Gastric Radical Surgery. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S489167

Two paths, one goal–uniting regional and general anesthesia for optimal surgical care: a narrative review

2025

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Kim, M. K., Lee, O. H., & Kang, H. (2025). Two paths, one goal–uniting regional and general anesthesia for optimal surgical care: a narrative review. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.12771/emj.2025.00724

A Narrative Review of Regional vs. General Anesthesia in Cancer Surgery: Immune Pathways and Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes

2026

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Kabbara, J., Ali, F., Zureiqat, A., Khan, G., & Naffouje, S. A. (2026). A Narrative Review of Regional vs. General Anesthesia in Cancer Surgery: Immune Pathways and Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.111149

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