All types of anesthesia are administered to keep you comfortable and pain-free during surgery, medical procedures or tests. But, there are some key differences. The type you receive will depend on factors like the procedure, your health and your preference.
General anesthesia is medicine that is administered by a physician anesthesiologist through a mask or an IV placed in the vein. While the anesthesia is working, you will be unconscious and many of your body’s functions will slow down or need help to work effectively. A tube may be placed in your throat to help you breathe. During surgery or the procedure, the physician anesthesiologist will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and other vital signs to make sure they are normal and steady while you remain unconscious and free of pain.
Sedation, also known as monitored anesthesia care, conscious sedation or twilight sedation, typically is used for minor surgeries or shorter, less complex procedures when an injection of local anesthetic isn’t sufficient but deeper general anesthesia isn’t necessary. An analgesic is a medication used to achieve analgesia, or pain relief, and is often combined with sedation. Procedures using sedation and analgesics may be performed in a hospital or in an outpatient setting, such as a same-day surgery center, your physician’s office or a dentist’s office
Regional anesthesia is a type of pain management for surgery that numbs a large part of the body, such as from the waist down. The medication is delivered through an injection or small tube called a catheter and is used when a simple injection of local anesthetic is not enough, and when it’s better for the patient to be awake. Regional anesthesia is very safe and doesn’t involve the potential complications and side effects that can happen with sedation and general anesthesia. But, it does carry some risks, and it’s important that it be provided and monitored by a physician anesthesiologist.