I have had a few surgeries in my life. My most recent open heart surgery was a triple bypass. I remember before each surgery the anesthesiologist introduced me and told me the procedure and the risks. Before any surgery, I always had a consent form to sign giving him permission to give anesthesia to let me know the risks.
It must be said that, apart from knowing the danger, he never gave anesthesia much thought.
Below is very useful information about anesthesia.
What is anesthesia?
Anesthesia is a drug that makes the patient comfortable and unaware of any pain during the procedure or surgery.
How is anesthesia administered?
Anesthesia medicine will be given to the patient through an IV, through a face mask, or through a tube into your nose or throat. It can also be given as a shot in your back, or as a shot in the area where you need to have a procedure or surgery. How it is administered depends on the type of anesthesia needed.
When is anesthesia administered?
All anesthesia is administered shortly before the actual procedure or surgery begins, to allow time for the anesthesia to numb the affected areas, and to allow the patient to relax or sleep during the procedure.
Why are there different types of anesthesia?
A person’s medical history is such that if he has diabetes or heart disease or heart problems, abnormal test results, and/or if he or she has had a previous allergic reaction to a specific type of anesthesia, it will prevent the anesthesiologist from using it. one type of anesthesia and the anesthesiologist will have to choose another type.
The person’s current medical condition and age can also determine what type of anesthesia will be administered by the anesthesiologist.
The type of procedure or surgery the patient is having will determine if local (regional) anesthesia or general anesthesia is needed.
What types of anesthesia are there?
There are 3 major types of anesthesia. Are:
1. Local anesthesia is where a numbing drug is injected directly into the surgical area and numbs the pain around the surgical area. Sometimes this medication can also be given in an ointment or foam. Local anesthesia is best used for tests, procedures, or surgeries where much pain is not expected. Local anesthesia can only be used for minor procedures on a limited part of the body, such as a hernia, breast biopsy, or skin procedure. Usually the patient is awake during the process and relaxing can also be given to help the patient relax to care and avoid any discomfort or incident.
Procedural sedation is a limited type of anesthesia that combines the use of local anesthesia with doses of sedatives or tranquilizers to relax the patient.
2. Regional anesthesia is where a local numbing drug is injected around the major nerves or spinal cord to block the pain. a larger but limited part of the body. It numbs the nerves running to the lower part of the body. This type of anesthesia can be chosen for a variety of major surgical procedures, such as those operated on the legs and lower abdomen. It is likely that another drug will help the patient relax comfortably and even sleep in the hand.
There are 2 major types of Regional Anesthesia which are:
A). Nerve blocks nerve pain in which a local anesthetic is infused near a particular nerve or group of nerves to block pain from the area of the body to supply the nerve . This type of anesthesia can also be given in the patient’s arm, which is called an axillary block. Nerve blocks are usually a procedure in the hands, arms, feet, legs, and face. Surgery on the upper extremity can be performed using nerve blocks in the arm. With this type of regional anesthesia the numb area remains for 4 to 18 hours depending on the type of medicine used. During surgery, the patient may be kept awake or given medication to make him sleep.
B). Epidural and Spinal anesthesia in which a local anesthetic is injected near the spinal cord and nerves that connect to the spinal cord narrow pain from the whole body , such as the abdomen, hips, legs. This type of regional anesthesia is used for procedures or surgeries performed in the lower abdominal area, pelvic area, rectal or other internal areas. In some situations, such as a long-term procedure, spinal anesthesia may be given continuously throughout the surgery. If this is the case, a thin catheter tube is left in place so that the anesthesiologist can immediately inject the numbing medication.
Spinal and epidural anesthesia is commonly used for surgery below the navel, of the lower limbs and during labor and delivery. When women hear the word ‘epidural’, they immediately associate it with labor pains.
This type of anesthesia also involves continuously administering anesthetic medication through a thin catheter tube. As the patient lies or sits on his side, the catheter is placed in the spinal cord in the lower numbness in the lower body causing Then the needle must be taken out, but the catheter must be left in place, if necessary, to give the person more medicine. During surgery, the patient is awake, but medication can be given in their IV to help them sleep. The lower part of the patient’s body is numb, and he can move his legs, but he should not be in pain. Full sensation returns in the legs after the medication is stopped and worn off – usually in 1 to 4 hours. The extent of the numbness depends on whether the surgery is performed.
Epidural anesthesia is also used for chest surgery. In this case, an anesthetic drug is injected in the upper part of the back to numb the chest and abdominal areas.
An advantage of spinal or epidural anesthesia is that a long-acting drug can be applied near the spinal cord to provide pain relief. further after the operation.
Epidural anesthesia can provide longer pain relief than spinal anesthesia.
3. General anesthesia is administered into a vein, usually in the patient’s arm, or inhaled through a breathing mask or tube. It also affects the brain as well as the whole body. His purpose is to put the unconscious state in art. The patient is completely unconscious and does not feel pain during the surgery. A breathing tube can be inserted into the patient’s artery to properly administer oxygen through continuous breathing during surgery, and to administer aesthetic gases to put the patient to sleep. After the surgery is complete, the anesthesiologist stops the anesthetic, including the vapors, and the patient wakes up in the recovery room. For shorter procedures and surgery, the tube in the artery is not used, and the patient simply cannot breathe through the mask during the entire operation.
General anesthesia often causes forgetfulness after surgery. I remembered before my heart surgery, while I was waiting in the operating room one of the resident doctors said to me, “Look around , because you will not remember these things afterwards;
With all different types of anesthesia, the patient can also be given a muscle relaxer which blocks transmission. the nerve impulses to the muscles and for a time the tone of the muscles is released.
Notes:
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise (2008, February)
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/anesthesia-types-of-anesthesia?page=2
Drugs.com (2010, May) http://www.drugs.com/cg/types-of-anesthesia.html
