Surgical procedure: The most common factor determining whether a patient needs general anesthesia is the type of surgical procedure the patient needs. All procedures that require complete patient immobilization and muscle paralysis will require general anesthesia and mechanical ventilation. Common types of procedures that usually warrant general anesthesia are abdominal laparoscopic procedures and open chest (thoracic and cardiac surgery) or open abdominal procedures (hepatic, gastrointestinal, pancreatic, gynecologic, endocrinologic, urologic surgeries).
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