Anesthesia controls pain and alters consciousness while keeping your organs working normally during your operation or procedure.

Anesthesia can relax you, make you sleepy and forgetful, or make you completely unconscious. The level of anesthesia you need depends on your health and the type of surgery or procedure you are scheduled to have.

Your anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist will make sure you are comfortable and safe, and recommend the best type of anesthesia for you.

Types of anesthesia:

- Local Anesthesia – this numbs a small part of the body and is usually used for simple procedures.

o You get an injection around the area the doctor will be working.

o You will feel some pressure during the procedure.

o You may stay awake or receive medicine to help you relax or sleep along with the numbing.

- Regional Anesthesia – this blocks pain to a larger area of the body. It can also help relieve pain after surgery for hours or longer. It may reduce your need for other pain medicine after surgery. There are different types. They include:

o Peripheral nerve block. This is either a single injection or a catheter placed near a specific nerve or group of nerves. It blocks pain in the part of the body supplied by the nerve. This is often used for procedures on the hands, arms, feet, legs or face.

o Epidural and spinal anesthesia. This is an injection near the spinal cord and surrounding nerves that blocks pain from an entire area of the body, such as the belly, hips or legs.

o Sedation Anesthesia – this reduces anxiety and makes you more comfortable. For most people, how sleepy you are can be adjusted from slight relaxation to being so sleepy that you don’t remember anything from the procedure.

- General Anesthesia – this affects the brain and the whole body and may be the only option for bigger operations. A small tube is placed in a vein (IV) and medicines are given through that, drifting you off to sleep until the surgery is over. After you are asleep, you will breathe anesthesia medicine through a tube or air pillow placed through your mouth into your throat. Children without an IV will go to sleep by breathing anesthesia medicine through a mask. During the surgery, you will be unconscious and won’t feel pain. Patients often don’t remember much about the time period right before surgery and possibly for some time after the surgery is over.

The type of anesthesia you have depends on many things, such as:

- The type of surgery or procedure and the reason you are having it

- Test results, such as blood tests, X-rays, EKG

- How worried you feel about the surgery

- Your health.

Your doctors and nurses will ask you about any past surgeries. They will ask about any health problems you may have, such as diabetes, lung or heart disease or a history of stroke. They will want to know if you take medicines such as blood thinners. Your doctor may also ask if any family members have had any problems with anesthesia.

You will be able to talk with your anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist about your options.

Major side effects are not common, but all types of anesthesia have some risk. Your risk depends on your overall health, the type of anesthesia you need, and the operation you are having. Serious but rare risks include breathing problems, heart attack, stroke, reactions to medicine, death, etc.

Some health conditions increase the risk of problems. Your anesthesia provider will find out about any health problems you have that may affect your care.

Your anesthesia provider will closely watch your vital signs during anesthesia and surgery. This includes checking your blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and oxygen levels. This may help avoid problems from anesthesia.