The breathing tube used during general anesthesia is the usual culprit.
While you are unconscious, the anaesthetist keeps your airway open with a tube or an inflatable mask, and that device pressing on your throat leaves it sore, dry, and sometimes hoarse afterward. The Royal College of Anaesthetists says this kind of sore throat usually lasts 24 to 48 hours. MedlinePlus lists sore throat among the normal after-effects of general anesthesia, alongside grogginess and a dry mouth. It needs no special treatment: warm drinks, ice chips, lozenges, and ordinary painkillers are enough while it settles.
What to do
Common questions
Why is my throat sore after surgery?
It is almost always the airway device, not an infection. During general anesthesia the anaesthetist places a breathing tube or an airway mask after you are unconscious to keep oxygen flowing, and these devices press on and dry out the tissues of your throat. The Royal College of Anaesthetists says a sore throat after anesthesia usually lasts 24 to 48 hours, and you might also notice a very dry mouth or a hoarse voice. Sucking ice chips, sipping warm drinks, throat lozenges, and simple painkillers like acetaminophen all help while it settles. It fades on its own and needs no treatment in most cases. The reasons to call your team instead: pain that is getting worse after two days, trouble swallowing or breathing, a fever, or a croaky voice that lasts beyond about a week, since a breathing tube can occasionally bruise the vocal cords. MedlinePlus lists sore throat among the normal short-lived effects after general anesthesia.