Understanding Anesthesia; Types and Risks

Anesthesia means the use of drugs to induce a temporary or short-term loss of sensation or awareness for medical purpose. It allow doctors to carry out pain free operations or surgeries. Anesthesia can numb a small area for minor procedures or a larger region, like below the waist area during C-section. In more complex cases, it can induce complete loss of consciousness as required in major surgeries like heart operation and cancer treatments.

Before the discovery of anesthesia, people used alcohol and opium to dull pain during surgeries. In 1846, William T.G Morton an American dentist, successfully make a patient unconscious by using ether gas. In 1847, chloroform introduced. These discoveries paved the way for the development of modern anesthetic agents.

Types of Anesthesia

1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; General Anesthesia

A condition or state in which a patient is made completely unconsciousness for a medical procedure. In this state, you’re unaware of anything happening around you and you don’t feel any pain. It is used in major surgeries like organ transplant, heart surgery, Brain surgery and sometimes in gallbladder removal operation.

It can be administrated in two ways:

· Via an injection into vein in your arm using a cannula

· By breathing in anesthetic gas through a mask

Return to consciousness; chills, nausea, vomiting and sore throat from breathing tube

2. Regional Anesthesia

Regional anesthesia numbs a larger area of the body to ensure pain free surgeries.

Epidural or Spinal anesthesia injected into the cerebrospinal fluid in the lower back of the body to numb the below the waist area.

· During childbirth, this method serves to ease the pain during labor and delivery

· To carry out hip or knee replacement surgeries

· Surgeries on the lower extremities

Peripheral Nerve Block is an injection of numbing medicine near a specific nerves of the body to block signals to the brain. It is especially used for surgeries on the feet, legs, arms and hands.

3. Local Anesthesia

Local anesthesia or anesthetic numbs a specific area of the body without complete loss of consciousness. It numbs a small section during a minor procedure like filling a tooth or some kind of biopsy. It is also effective for pain relief for mouth ulcers.

It comes in many forms; creams, gel, injection, eye drops.

You won’t be able to feel pain after local or regional anesthesia. The effect usually wear off after 2 to 4 hours depending on the type of anesthesia.

4. IV monitored Sedation

Pre-procedure sedation induce drowsiness and relaxation and aid in anesthesia for dental and medical procedures.

Sedatives are drugs that slow down the activity of central nervous system and produce a calming effect.

IV monitored sedation is a medical technique directly introduced in vein through intravenous line to induce relaxation. Patient may feel asleep but they are conscious enough to have a verbal talk.

All of these anesthesia states are precisely monitored by anesthesiologist. Before, during or after the procedure, patient’s heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels are monitored continually to ensure safety and stability.

Risks of Anesthesia

Risks of anesthesia vary from minor side effects to very rare but life threatening complications. They depend on patient’s overall health, age and the type of anesthesia used.

Common side effects include

· Nausea and vomiting

· Sore throat from breathing tube

· Chills

· Headache or Muscle aches

· Pain or bruising at the injection or IV site

Some serious effects of anesthesia include

· Nerve damage, a rare risk caused by direct needle injury or infection

· High spinal block happened when anesthetic spreads too high up the spinal cord causing difficulty in breathing and low blood pressure.

· Malignant hyperthermia, a rare inherited disease causes muscle contraction and a high fever. You should tell your anesthesiologist about your family history of MH.

· Pulmonary Aspiration occurs because of inhaled stomach content into lungs.

· Anesthetic awareness is a rare experience of becoming conscious during surgery while unable to move often leads to severe emotional distress.

Conclusion

Anesthesia refers to the drugs that induce complete unconsciousness or numbs a small area of the body. Anesthesiologist monitor the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure during the procedure. And remain with patient till he return to consciousness. Eating a few hours before the surgery is avoided to ensure safety.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do they wake you up after general anesthesia?

Our body eliminate the anesthesia on its own and return to consciousness over the time. Anesthesiologist give reversal agent, a specific drug to counteract the effects and regain consciousness faster.

2. How long does anesthesia takes to wear off?

The effects wear off minutes after the anesthetic medication stopped. It takes 24 hours or more to fully eliminate the anesthetic drugs out of the body.

3. Do you dream under general anesthesia?

General anesthesia induce a complete loss of unconsciousness but it might be a rare case of some people having dream between the state of unconsciousness and full wakefulness.

4. Which anesthesia is used for colonoscopy?

Most commonly monitored anesthetic care or sedation is used.