What is anaesthesia?back to top 

 

The word ‘anaesthesia’ means ‘loss of sensation’. If you have ever had a dental injection in your mouth or pain-killing drops put in your eyes, you already know important things about anaesthesia.

 

       It stops you feeling pain and other sensations.

 

       It can be given in various ways.

 

       Not all anaesthesia makes you unconscious.

 

       It can be directed to different parts of the body.

 

 

Some types of anaesthesia

 

Local anaesthesiaback to top 

 

A local anaesthetic numbs a small part of your body. It is used when the nerves can easily be reached by drops, sprays, ointments or injections. You stay conscious but free from pain.

 

 

Regional anaesthesiaback to top 

 

Regional anaesthesia can be used for operations on larger or deeper parts of the body. Local anaesthetic drugs are injected near to the bundles of nerves which carry signals from that area of the body to the brain.

 

The most common regional anaesthetics (also known as regional ‘blocks’) are spinal and epidural anaesthetics. These can be used for operations on the lower body such as Caesarean sections. .

 

 

Sedationback to top 

 

Sedation is the use of small amounts of anaesthetic or similar drugs to produce a ‘sleepy-like’ state. It makes you physically and mentally relaxed during an investigation or procedure which may be unpleasant or painful (such as an endoscopy) but where your co-operation is needed.

 

You may remember a little about what happened but often you will remember nothing. This is known as ‘conscious sedation’, and may be used by other professionals as well as anaesthetists.

 

Sedation is also commonly used in combination with a local or regional anaesthetic.

 

 

General anaesthesiaback to top 

 

General anaesthesia is a state of controlled unconsciousness during which you feel nothing and may be described as ‘anaesthetised’. This is important for some operations and may be used as an alternative to regional anaesthesia for others.

 

Anaesthetic drugs injected into a vein, or anaesthetic gases breathed into the lungs, are carried to the brain by the blood. They stop the brain recognising messages coming from the nerves in the body.

 

Controlled unconsciousness is different from unconsciousness due to disease or injury and is different from sleep. As the anaesthetic drugs wear off, your consciousness starts to return.

 

A regional anaesthetic may be given as well as a general anaesthetic to provide pain relief after the operation or to control the way your body responds to the surgery.