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Anesthesia
There are different types of anesthesia that are administered by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist to keep you comfortable during and after your procedure.
- Regional anesthesia is used to block pain in a large but limited part of the body. Regional anesthesia includes the injection of a local anesthetic (numbing agent) around major nerves or the spinal cord. The patient will receive medicine to help relax or sleep during the procedure. Types of regional anesthesia include spinal blocks, epidurals, and peripheral nerve blocks.
- Monitored anesthesia (MAC) is a type of anesthesia used for short operations or those that do not go deep into the body. You will receive sedatives and painkillers through your IV to keep you relaxed and comfortable and may even lightly sleep.
- General anesthesia is given intravenously (through a vein) or inhaled, general anesthesia affects the entire body, including the brain. The patient is completely unaware and does not feel any pain during surgery.
Common questions:
The type of surgery you are having often determines the type of anesthesia used. Many minor procedures are typically performed using Monitored anesthesia (MAC). An anesthesiologist will meet with you to review your health history prior to the procedure. They will develop the best possible plan for your anesthetic during and after your procedure.
The anesthesiologist will discuss the risks and benefits associated with the various anesthetic options. Although all types of anesthesia involve some risk, major complications or side effects are quite rare. New anti-nausea drugs and better monitoring have reduced the risk of complications from anesthesia in recent years.
Your anesthesiologist will ensure that a sufficient amount of anesthesia is provided to produce a state of unconsciousness throughout your entire surgery. If you are having general anesthesia, you will be asleep (unconscious) – perhaps even dreaming – during your entire operation.
Most patients wake up within minutes following the end of the operation. Typically, the anesthesiologist stops administering anesthesia medications once the surgery is finished and bandages are being applied, shortly thereafter; you will emerge, or “wake up,” from anesthesia.