When people hear the term “anesthesia,” they may think of the classic Hollywood trope where a patient counts down from 10 and suddenly, it’s lights out. While a version of this does occur in the operating room, there are actually four different types of anesthesia, and not all of them put you to sleep. Here’s everything you need to know about the main types of anesthesia.
General anesthesia
General anesthesia is the most common type of anesthesia. Shortly after receiving general anesthesia (either through a breathing mask or IV), you’ll be unconscious–you won’t feel any pain, and, after waking up, you may think that only a few minutes have gone by.
General anesthesia is safe. At worst, you’ll experience side effects such as drowsiness, a sore throat, or mild nausea. Although a serious reaction can occur in rare cases, your anesthesia care team will be by your side to take action if needed.
Regional anesthesia
Regional anesthesia is used to numb the specific area of the body that’s being operated on. There are several sub-types of regional anesthesia, such as spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia, which are often used during childbirth, and nerve blocks, which are used to numb smaller areas of the body. Regional anesthesia is given through IV. In some cases, a catheter is left in the patient’s body so additional anesthesia can be given in the days after surgery, if needed.
During regional anesthesia, you don’t have to be unconscious. Some patients prefer to remain awake. Either way, you won’t feel any pain.
Sedation
Sedation, also known as monitored anesthesia care, is used for minor surgeries such as colonoscopy or biopsy with the goal of relaxing the patient but not putting them to sleep. Sedation is usually given through IV.
Sedation can be classified into three types: mild sedation, where the patient is relaxed and relatively alert; moderate sedation, where the patient is conscious but may fall asleep; and deep sedation, which is similar to general anesthesia (but stops short of inducing complete unconsciousness).
Local anesthesia
Local anesthesia is a shot – or it may be applied topically – and is used to numb small areas during procedures like stitching a cut, or dental surgery. During local anesthesia, you won’t be unconscious nor will you be sedated. You’ll just enjoy a painless operation. However, depending on the surgery, you may receive sedation in addition to local anesthesia.
Side effects of local anesthesia are rare, and when they do occur, they don’t go beyond mild soreness at the injection site. Although anesthesia as a whole is very safe, local anesthesia is considered to be the safest type.
If you’re scheduled to undergo a medical procedure that requires anesthesia, it’s normal to be worried about what lies ahead, especially if you’ve never been “put under” before. But your doctor will tell you everything you need to know beforehand. If you still have any questions or concerns, let your healthcare practitioner know before the procedure.
Written by Natan Rosenfeld
