Patient Information

What is anesthesia?

Anesthesia is the loss of feeling and sensation of pain. General anesthesia is the loss of sensation and pain with the loss of consciousness. In local, spinal, and epidural anesthesia nerve conduction is blocked directly and painful impulses cannot reach the brain.

General Anesthesia

A general anesthetic acts on the brain to make you completely unaware of any sensations throughout your entire body. General anesthetics are administered intravenously (IV) through the bloodstream or by breathing gases through the lungs. Consciousness is lost, and rarely is there any memory of the operation. General anesthetics are given to prevent pain and, if necessary, to relax muscles to assist the surgeon. Although rare, complications with general anesthesia could occur and include the possibility of temporary mouth or throat pain, hoarseness, injury to the mouth or teeth, awareness under anesthesia, injury to blood vessels, aspiration or pneumonia. Different drugs are given in combination to achieve the desired results, maximize your comfort and minimize side effects.

Regional Anesthesia

A regional anesthetic is given to anesthetize a certain area of the body. This is achieved by injecting the anesthetic directly around the nerves supplying the area needing surgery. The anesthetic temporarily stops regional or local nerves from sending signals to the brain. Because your brain is not effected, you’ll remain awake but will not feel any pain. Often medication is given to relax you and relieve any anxiety that you may have. It may also cause you to feel drowsy and you may nap through the procedure. As a result you will have little or no memory of the operation. With regional anesthesia there is less chance of transitory side effects like those associated with general anesthesia, such as sore throat, nausea, vomiting, and disorientation. Regional anesthesia provides pain relief that may last for several hours after the surgery without the need for additional pain medication. There are four types of regional anesthesia: spinal, epidural, regional blocks, and local.

Spinal anesthesia

Spinal anesthesia results from medication injected into fluid around the spinal cord. Pain impulses from spinal nerves are blocked before they can reach the brain, and the surgeon can perform the operation without you feeling any pain. Depending on your position after the medication is injected, this blocks the entire lower half of your body or just one side. Once the anesthetic wears off, sensation and movement are restored. About 2 to 4% of patients report headaches after spinal anesthesia.

Epidural anesthesia

Epidural anesthesia is similar to spinal anesthesia except that the anesthetic is injected outside the covering of the spinal cord. Painful sensations are blocked before they reach the central nervous tissue but most patients are still able to move. In continuous epidural anesthesia, a small plastic tube (catheter) is placed at the injection site for additional pain control after surgery. The catheter is taped to your back once the operation is complete allowing for additional medication administration if needed.

Regional blocks

Regional blocks (nerve blocks) are given to anesthetize a certain group of nerves, such as the shoulder, arm, hand, leg, and foot. The anesthetic agent is injected around the nerves supplying the area needed for surgery. This prevents the pain signals from reaching the brain. Sometimes the surgeon will perform this type of block.

Local blocks

Local anesthesia is given to anesthetize the exact spot where the surgery will take place. This is usually done by the surgeon. Intravenous sedation may be given to relax you by your nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist. This is known as Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC).

** Regardless of the type of anesthesia that you require for your surgery, monitors will be used to monitor your vital signs including your temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level of your blood, respirations and other monitors as needed for your particular surgery and/or needs.**

Your anesthesia team may consists of an anesthesiologist and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). Both are specialists in anesthesia and usually work together as a team to help prepare you for your procedure, keep you pain free, monitor your condition, administer intravenous fluids and monitor you after your surgery.