Types & Risks of Anesthesia

General Anesthesia

GENERAL ANESTHESIA gives an unconscious state. This type of anesthesia is made by injecting medicine into the blood stream and by having the patient breathe other medicines. Frequently, the person who gives the anesthetic places a tube through the mouth or nose into the windpipe to aid in your breathing. You may also feel a sore throat, hoarseness, injury to teeth or airway, injury to blood vessels, awareness under anesthesia, minor pain or discomfort continuing after you leave the facility. Strokes, brain damage, heart attacks, pneumonia, and death are very rare complications of general anesthesia.

Spinal Anesthesia

SPINAL ANESTHESIA is a medicine that is injected through a needle, which is put in the back into the spinal canal. The medicine causes a short-term loss of feeling and movement in the lower half of the body. Usually, a numbing medication is used where the needle is inserted so that the entire procedure causes very little pain or discomfort. Sometimes this type of anesthesia is not satisfactory. When this happens, another type of anesthesia may be used. The more common problems of spinal anesthesia are headache, backache, and buzzing in the ears. Rare problems include heart attacks, infections, and the inability to move parts of the body.

Epidural Anesthesia

EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA is commonly used to relieve the pain of surgery or labor. The procedure involves placing a needle in the epidural space-located off the spinal column in the lower back. A thin plastic catheter is left in place and the needle is removed. Local anesthetics, narcotics, and/or other medicines are given through the catheter as needed. Usually, a local anesthetic is used to numb the skin where the needle is inserted so that the entire procedure produces very little discomfort. Sometimes the anesthesia does not work completely. When this happens, another type of anesthesia may be used. The more common problems are headache, backache, buzzing in the ears, low blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting. Rare problems include constant headache, infection, constant numbness, or weakness of lower body and legs, breakage of needle or catheter (possibly requiring surgery), blood clot (possibly requiring surgery), rapid absorption of local anesthesia causing dizziness and/or seizures, short-term total spinal anesthesia (requiring life support system), respiratory and/or cardiac arrest (requiring life support systems). Fetal distress during labor may result from one of the above problems.

Regional (Local) Anesthesia

REGIONAL (LOCAL) ANESTHESIA is a medicine or mixture of medicines is injected around nerves so that the area to be operated on is without feeling for a few hours. The injection causes very little discomfort to the patient. Sometimes, the anesthesia does not work completely so that another type of anesthesia or the use of a different form of pain relief becomes necessary. Rare problems of regional anesthesia include infections and inability to move parts of the body.

Intravenous Regional (Local) Anesthesia

INTRAVENOUS REGIONAL (LOCAL) ANESTHESIA is a special type of local anesthesia given by injecting a medicine into the veins of an arm or leg to which a tourniquet (tight band) has been applied. A few patients complain of pain at the local anesthesia injection site after surgery. Rare complications of intravenous local anesthesia include infections and inability to move parts of the body.

Intravenous (IV) Sedation

INTRAVENOUS (IV) SEDATION is an injection of a medicine into the veins of an arm or leg so that you will feel relaxed and somewhat sleepy. Sedation will also help relieve discomfort from the surgery. You may or may not remember what happened when surgery is over. Some of these medicines may irritate the vein through which they are injected. This irritation is usually short term. Some of these medicines may rarely produce unwanted effects such as difficult breathing, changes in heart action, and short-term loss of memory.