The general anesthesia that puts patients into unconscious sleep so they do not feel surgical pain can increase the discomfort they feel once they wake up, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center. They say their findings, the first to scientifically explain what has been anecdotally observed in the clinic, may lead to wider use of the few anesthetics that don’t have this side effect, or to the development of new ones.

“The choice of anesthetic appears to be an important determinant of post-operative pain,” says the study’s lead investigator, Gerard Ahern, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University Medical Center. “We hope these findings are ultimately helpful in providing more comfort to patients.”

The full press release from Georgetown University Medical Center is available here in PDF form.