When a patient faces surgery, he/she will meet with the anesthesiologist before the procedure. The anesthesiologist will review the patient's medical condition and history to plan the appropriate anesthetic for surgery.

During surgery, you will be given some form of anesthesia which is the medicine administered for the relief of pain and sensation during surgery. The type and dosage of anesthesia is administered by the anesthesiologist or a member of the anesthesia care team under the direction of the anesthesiologist.

There are various forms of anesthesia. The type of anesthesia you will receive will depends on the type of surgery and your medical condition. Usually, an anesthesiologist will administer a variety of different medications such as sedatives, medications to relieve or prevent pain, those to reduce memory of the event, and those necessary to improve the operating conditions for your surgeon. The different types of anesthesia are as follows:

  • General Anesthesia  causes a patient to be unconscious during surgery. The medicine is either inhaled through a breathing mask or tube, or administered through an intravenous line - a thin plastic tube inserted into a vein (usually in the patient's forearm). A breathing tube may be inserted into the windpipe to maintain a proper airway and adequate breathing during surgery. Once the surgery is complete, the anesthesiologist discontinues the anesthetic and the patient wakes up in the recovery room. In most cases the induction of sleep is done by injecting through the intravenous line.