Anterograde amnesia is a loss of memory that occurs after the time of the event. For example, you forget something that happened after you had surgery. Contrary to popular opinion, anterograde amnesia is probably more common. Most people with amnesia experience a loss related to specific time periods. The movie image of forgetting everything about your personal past but remembering everything to do with daily functioning is a myth.
Most amnesia is due to physical causes.
Amnesia should always be considered serious enough to call for a full evaluation by a healthcare provider. However, it is common to experience a certain amount of memory loss around a severe injury. For example, many people involved in a severe car wreck may experience both types of amnesia. This does not necessarily indicate any severe or lasting damage. Similarly, many people experience a certain amount of amnesia after surgery.