Anesthesia is generally defined as “local or general insensibility to pain with or without the loss of consciousness, induced by an anesthetic.” Anesthesia makes modern surgery possible since without the ability to safely and effectively eliminate pain, few current surgical procedures could be performed. Depending on the type and location of a surgical procedure, and including factors such as the patient's medical history, overall health and the physician's preference, different types of anesthesia are administered. The three general types of anesthesia are local, regional, or general.
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia uses medications that are injected into a localized area to block the nerves and numb the area. It numbs only that small area without affecting any other area of the body and the patient remains conscious. Most are familiar with local anesthesia used by a dentist, for instance, to numb the area of a tooth to be drilled or extracted so that there is no pain after the initial injection of anesthesia. It is used for minor surgeries such as vasectomies, biopsies, and some cosmetic procedures, and also for stitching wounds.
Topical anesthesia is applied to the surface of the skin rather than injected. It can be in the form of a cream or spray to numb the local area. It is sometimes applied to reduce the discomfort of an anesthetic injection, or for the removal of a growth on the skin's surface.
Regional Anesthesia
Regional anesthesia is used for more invasive and extensive surgery, numbing a large area of the body. The anesthetic is injected around major nerves to numb the region of the body that is supplied by the nerves. Is it often accompanied by medications to help the patient sleep or relax during surgery. The two most common forms of regional anesthesia are: peripheral nerve blocks used most commonly for surgical procedures on the arms, legs, hands, feet, or face, and; spinal and epidural anesthesia, used to numb an entire region of the body for procedures such as caesarian sections and prostate surgery.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia affects the entire body as well as the brain, causing unconsciousness. There is no awareness or sensations of pain. During the surgery, the patient is closely monitored by the anesthesiologist with the amount of anesthesia precisely controlled. Once the procedure is completed, the anesthesiologist ceases the anesthetic and the patient awakens with no memory of the event.
Anesthesia is a quite safe medical procedure practiced by specialists who are certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology after years of training. Just as it is wise to selectively choose a surgeon to perform a procedure, it is also wise to carefully select the anesthesiologist.