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| What You Need to Know About Anesthesia |
| By Pat Burke |
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It is estimated that there are more than 25 million surgical procedures performed each year in the United States, most of which depend upon the use of anesthesia to block pain and, in many cases, even make the surgery possible. It’s hard to imagine living in a world without the miracles of anesthesia and the countless lives that have been touched—and saved—because an operation could be performed.
What type of anesthesia will you have? That will depend upon the type of procedure you are undergoing, your general health, and in some cases, your preferences.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists lists four main types of anesthesia that are in use:
- General anesthesia provides loss of consciousness and loss of sensation so your body perceives no pain. The anesthesia drug may be medications introduced through a vein and/or gases or vapors inhaled through a breathing mask or tube (in most cases it’s a combination). During general anesthesia, the patient is monitored, controlled and treated by the anesthesiologist, who uses sophisticated equipment to track all major bodily functions.
- Regional anesthesia involves the injection of a local anesthetic to provide numbness, loss of pain and or loss of sensation to a large region of body.
Regional anesthesia techniques include spinal blocks, epidural blocks and arm and leg blocks. Medications can be given that will make you comfortable, drowsy and blur your memory.
- Monitored anesthesia care consists of medications to make you drowsy and to relieve pain. These medications supplement local anesthetic injections which are often given by your surgeon. While you are sedated, your anesthesiologist will monitor your vital body functions.
- Local anesthesia provides numbness to a small area, is often injected by your surgeon. In this case there may be no anesthesia team member with you. In large doses, local anesthetic is toxic, which is why it is only appropriate for use to numb a small area.
Today, much surgery is performed in ambulatory (or outpatient) settings and the anesthesia is tailored to make it possible for you to go home soon after your surgical procedure. The anesthesiologist can select shorter-acting anesthetic drugs that have fewer side effects, and use specialized anesthetic techniques.
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