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Anesthetic Technique

Anesthesia is defined as a loss of physical sensation. It could mean loosing consciousness or losing feeling in all or part of the body. Anesthesia is used for many reasons and conditions that affect the body. The most common use is in surgeries to numb a certain area or areas on which a procedure is being performed. There are many different techniques used to give anesthetic to patients.

  1. Local Anesthesia

    • Local anesthetics are administered to a certain part of the body to numb only that area. Local anesthesia is typically administered by injection along a known route. The rectal route, the parenteral route and the ophthalmic route are all common. Parenteral anesthetics are given during dental surgery and labor and delivery.

      Ophthalmic anesthesia is administered before performing certain procedures on the eye. These types of anesthesia are administered through an ointment, jelly or solution.

    Topical Anesthetic

    • Topical anesthetics are administered by rubbing an ointment or lotion on the skin to numb or dull pain. Most topical anesthetics are used to relieve pain or itching caused by things like poison oak, poison ivy or sunburn. These anesthetics are also popular for treating some minor dental conditions. Many of these are available over the counter, such as Aveeno Anti-Itch, Curasore and Solarcaine.

    General Anesthesia

    • General anesthesia is the type of anesthetic that is administered to put a person into a sleep state. However, the sleep a person experiences under general anesthetic is not the same as regular sleep. During regular sleep, you can still form memories and experience pain. In general anesthesia-induced sleep, you don't feel pain because the brain does not respond to signals the body sends. Additionally, while under anesthesia you have no memory of what happened.

      General anesthesia is most commonly administered through injections or the inhalation of gases that knock you out. General anesthesia is most commonly used in surgeries where proper breathing becomes an issue, such as abdominal or chest surgeries; in surgeries that take a long time to perform; or for surgeries that will require a patient to remain in a position that is uncomfortable for the duration of the surgery.

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