Anesthesia

Your anesthesia team will consist of a physician anesthesiologist (MDA) and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). The anesthesia team will review the preadmission information and conduct a brief interview with you. Keep in mind that there is some redundancy in the process. This is intentional so that we get the most accurate information possible. Following the evaluation, the anesthesia team will discuss the risks, benefits and alternatives of your anesthetic.

Types of anesthesia

Anesthesia is the effect of drugs that block nerve impulses and leave the body or part of the body insensitive to pain. The exact effects depend on the type of anesthesia used, this ranges from short-term numbness from a local injection to complete loss of sensation, unconsciousness and temporary paralysis with general anesthesia.

• Local: A local is usually injected into a small area of the body, which numbs it. You will stay awake and alert.
• Intravenous (IV) conscious sedation: A pain reliever and mild sedative is used to relax you and relieve and prevent pain. You will stay awake but may not remember the procedure afterwards.
• Regional: This anesthesia blocks nerve feeling and pain in one area of the body. This is a larger block than a local injection, such as an arm or a leg. Epidural anesthesia of the spine, such as is sometimes used in childbirth, is a form of regional anesthesia that blocks feeling in the lower part of the body.
• General: This affects your whole body. You are put into a deep sleep and feel nothing while under the general. You’ll have no memory of the procedure afterward.