General Anaesthesia
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. A regional anaesthetic may be given as well as a general anaesthetic to provide pain relief after the operation.
Local Anaesthesia
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 Anaesthesia
Regional anaesthesia can be used for operations on larger or deeper parts of the body. Local anaesthetic medicines are placed 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 nerve blocks) are brachial plexus, femoral and sciatic blocks (usually for orthopaedic surgery) and spinal and epidural blocks (usually for obstetrics and joint replacement surgery). Various blocks can can be used for pain relief in operations on the lower body or during childbirth. Many nerve blocks can be done when you are asleep under general anaesthetic.
Sedation
Sedation is the use of small amounts of anaesthetic or similar drugs to produce a sleepy-like state sometimes referred to as "twighlight sleep". It makes you comfortable and physically and mentally relaxed during an investigation or procedure (such as an endoscopy) where a full general anaesthetic is not necessarily required.
You may remember a little about what happened but often you will remember nothing. This is known as conscious sedation, but monitoring, vigilance and care is the same as for a general anaesthetic. Sedation is also commonly used in combination with a local or regional anaesthetic.
Factors that influence the choice
- The procedure to be performed. Some procedures can only be performed under general anaesthesia, others are safest with regional anaesthesia or sedation.
- The experience, expertise and preference of the anaesthetist can vary with different techniques. Fortunately Dr Brinkmann has undertaken extra training and has expertise with highest level proficiency in neuraxial and regional nerve blocks.
- Your own preference – Dr Brinkmann prides herself on delivering patient-centred care. All available anaesthetic and pain relieving options will be discussed with you prior to your procedure.
- Age – It is common for children to have a general anaesthetic or sedation for procedures that might be done without any form of anaesthetic in an adult, for example, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanning. This is because children may not understand the explanations or be able to lie still.
Do you have a choice?
No matter what operation, examination or other treatment you are to undergo, you can definitely ask your anaesthetist if there are options in the anaesthetic method. Frequently your anaesthetist with discuss the anaesthetic with your surgeon, particularly if you have special anaesthetic or medical problems. Often the decision is a collaborative one between you and your anaesthetist and your surgeon, where the anaesthetic doctor will provide options and advice.
The word anaesthesia means loss of sensation, and the aim of anaesthesia is to provide comfort for your surgery and recovery.
Most anaesthesia is provided as a general anaesthetic which means you will be asleep/unconscious for your surgery.
Not all anaesthesia aims to make you unconscious though. Sometimes local anaesthesia is directed to different parts of the body. If you have ever had a dental injection in your mouth or pain-relieving drops put in your eyes, you already know important things about anaesthesia. It provides comfort and stops you feeling pain and other sensations. Often this is done as an adjunct to a general anaesthetic in order to provide pain relief for after your surgery.