Anesthesia Basics

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Anesthesia Basics

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What Is Anesthesia?



Basically, anesthesia is the use of medicine to prevent the feeling of pain or another sensation during surgery or other procedures that might be painful (such as getting stitches or having a wart removed). Given as an injection or through inhaled gases or vapors, different types of anesthesia affect the nervous system in various ways by blocking nerve impulses and, therefore, pain.

In today's hospitals and surgery centers, highly trained professionals use a wide variety of safe, modern medications and extremely capable monitoring technology. An anesthesiologist is a doctor who specializes in giving and managing anesthetics — the medications that numb an area of the body or help you fall and stay asleep.

In addition to administering anesthesia medications to prepare you for the surgery, the anesthesiologist will:

  • address any problems that might arise during surgery
  • manage any pain you may have after surgery

A specially trained certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), resident physician, or student nurse anesthetist, who work with the anesthesiologist and surgeon, may assist in giving you anesthesia. CRNAs may work under the supervision of a anesthesiologist or on their own — it all depends on the state or hospital.

What Are the Types of Anesthesia?

Anesthesia is broken down into three main categories: general, regional, and local, all of which can be administered using various methods and different medications that affect the nervous system in some way. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) compares the nervous system to an office's telephone system — with the brain as the switchboard, the nerves as the cables, and the body parts feeling pain as the phones.


Regional anesthesia. An anesthetic drug is injected near a cluster of nerves, numbing a larger area of the body (such as below the waist). A person who receives regional anesthesia is usually asleep before the procedure is done. However, older children or those who would be at unacceptable risk by being asleep may be awake or sedated during the procedure. For example, if a person is overweight, it may be difficult for the anesthesiologist to feels the bones that help guide correct placement of the needle. This type of anesthesia includes things like epidurals, caudal blocks (which are similar to epidurals, but are placed in the tailbone), and spinal blocks (which further numb the lower body).



What Are the Common Side Effects?


  • chills or shakiness

What Are the Risks?


Most complications can usually be prevented by simply providing the anesthesiologist with complete information before the surgery about things like:




You can rest assured that the safety of anesthetic procedures has improved a lot in the past 25 years, thanks to advances in technology and the extensive training anesthesiologists receive. The more informed, calm, and reassured you are about the surgery and the safety of anesthesia, the easier the experience will probably be.

Reviewed by: Judith A. Jones, MD
Date reviewed: April 2012

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