What Types of Anesthesia are Used?
There are several types of anesthetic techniques used for surgical patients, ranging from local anesthesia to general anesthesia. The anesthetic technique selected will depend on several factors. The surgical procedure will in some cases dictate what kind of anesthesia will be needed. Based on your medical history a type of anesthetic may have an additional margin of safety and be selected. Your preferences also will be incorporated in the selection of best anesthetic plan for your procedure. There are four anesthetic options: • General anesthesia – This anesthetic choice produces unconsciousness, so that you will not feel, see or hear anything during the surgical procedure. The anesthetic medications are given to you through an intravenous line or as a breathing gas. • Regional anesthesia – This technique produces numbness with the injection of local anesthesia around nerves in a region of the body corresponding to the surgical procedure. With regional anesthesia, you will feel no pai
