The Different Types Of Anesthesia

By Lila Barry


Anaesthesia describes a situation where some sensation is removed or blocked temporarily. Normally, this is done when one is having a surgical procedure that results in cutting of various body parts hence it is important to numb your body to make sure that someone does not experience discomfort during the procedure. It usually results in lack of responsiveness and muscle reflexes and the patient may be in a condition of amnesia. There are various types of anesthesia that might be utilized by doctors with every type appropriate for a certain condition and area of the body.

A doctor may consider using local anaesthesia. This type is usually suitable where the patient is undergoing a minor surgery. Usually it can be injected or be applied onto the area where the doctor would want numb. As its name suggest, it is local therefore it numbs only the area that has been injected only unlike others that can numb the whole body.

Another common kind is called regional anaesthesia. When utilizing this type, the anaesthesia is used on a group of nerves. This therefore leads to numbing of a bigger area of the body for instance from the waist downwards. This kind is particularly used to make sure the patient feels safe throughout the surgical treatment and after the operation.

Another type that may be used to ensure that the patient is completely unconscious during the surgery is general anaesthesia. When this anaesthesia is used it usually seems as though someone is sleeping during the operation and once they wake up, they usually do not have any recollection of what happened. This kind of anesthesia can be given by inhalation of gases by breathing through a mask or putting a needle directly into a vein.

Other kinds of anaesthesia are caudal anaesthesia. This type can be used by doctors on areas round the legs, buttocks, within the inner thighs and the area between your legs. It is just another type of regional anaesthesia as it is usually injected onto a place where there is a group of nerves and the whole area will be numb.

Other generally used types of regional anaesthesia are IV regional anaesthesia and interscalene block. Every one of these types is appropriate for use on a certain part of the body. The interscalene block is generally utilized by doctors to numb areas round the arm and shoulders throughout a surgical treatment. The IV regional block however can be used to make numb the lower limb or arm throughout a surgical procedure.

In case one needs to be operated on the spine, they need to have the part from the waist downwards numb. Doctors therefore use spinal anaesthesia for this purpose. This is usually used in operations where the appendix is being removed or during childbirth.

All the various types of anesthesia are suitable for use by doctors. Depending on the kind of surgery you have, you will be given a specific anaesthesia. There are usually various ways of administering the drug like inhaling of the vapor or by being injected into the vein. Before any type of anaesthesia is used, it may be important for the doctor to know if the patient is allergic to any kind of anaesthesia. This will prevent cases where people react negatively when injected with the drug.




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