Anaesthetic is used to allow surgery to go ahead without you feeling pain. There are different ways in which this can be done, with different risks. Learn more about anaesthesia here, with information from the Royal College of Anaesthetists UK. Generally, the anaesthetic options may include:
- “Local anaesthetic”: Surgery performed whilst you are awake, but injections are given into the skin to cause numbness to the area of the operation.
- “Regional anaesthetic” Surgery performed whilst you are awake with injections given to numb a whole part of the body, for example an epidural or spinal anaesthetic that numbs the lower body, or injections given to numb a whole arm or leg.
- “General anaesthetic”: Surgery performed whilst you are asleep, with a tube placed through the nose or mouth and into the throat to help you breath when you are asleep.
- “Sedation“: Surgery performed with a medication to relax you, or put you to sleep but without the need for a tube down the throat.
Where is this information from?
Royal College of Anaesthetists: “With a combined membership of more than 24,000 Fellows and Members, we ensure the quality of patient care by safeguarding standards in the three specialties of anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine.”