Your choices in anesthesia

There are three main categories of anesthesia:

• Local anesthesia.
• Regional anesthesia.
• General anesthesia.

The following information provides a brief overview of each type of anesthesia:

Local anesthesia:

• The patient receives a shot to numb the immediate treatment area.
• Blocks nerve impulses and reduces or eliminates local sensation.

Regional anesthesia:

• A region of the body is anesthetized without rendering the patient unconscious.
• Referred to as nerve blocks.
• An anesthetic is injected into a nerve cluster and it affects sensation in all areas which this cluster controls.

General anesthesia:

• Given by an inhaled gas and/or intravenously.
• The gas is an odorless, rapid-acting opioid, which depresses the central nervous system and respiratory function.
• Intravenous sedative agents are used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia.

Gas or liquid? Inhaled, injected or swallowed?

What are the differences between gas and liquid anesthetics? What does it mean to inhale, inject or swallow an anesthetic gas or drug? Finally, what does it feel like? You’d be surprised just how many people want to know the answers to those questions before they sign up for a potentially life-altering surgery. The following information provides a brief overview of what gas and liquid sedatives are, and what you can expect to feel as you go under its effects:

Gas anesthesia:

• Gas anesthesia is inhaled into the lungs.
• Your blood is saturated with the anesthetic gas, and carried to your central nervous system.
• Effects of the gas are dependent on:
  • Gas concentration.
  • Rate of gas flow (from the machine).
  • Rate and depth of breathing.
  • Amount of blood the heart pumps per minute.
  • Dissolvability of the gas in the blood (some are more soluble than others).

The type of inhalant we use at the WSSC for surgical procedures is Sevofluorane.

Liquid Sedative:

• There are several types of liquid sedatives. Amongst the ones we use are:
  • Propofol – suitable for monitored sedation and maintenance of general anesthesia.
  • Ketamine – primarily used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, usually in conjunction with a sedative drug.

Like gas anesthetics, the effects and duration of liquid sedatives are dependent on a few factors:

• The amount injected.
• Weight of the patient.
• Fat solubility of the drug.
• Fat percentage of the patient’s body.

Used in small doses, most liquid anesthetics can be used for light sleep sedation.

What does it feel like?

• Regardless if you have a liquid or gas anesthetic, you will more than likely have an IV inserted to keep you hydrated and have a ‘vascular doorway’ should the need arise.
• What does an IV feel like?
  • Having an IV inserted feels sort of like blood being drawn, but for a shorter period of time.
  • The initial placement of the IV catheter may sting a bit.

What does anesthesia feel like?

Liquid:

• The effects of the anesthesia are felt soon after injection (a few seconds).
• It feels like heat going into your veins then creeping up your arm;
• Then it jumps from your shoulder to a metallic-like taste under your tongue, and then you are blissfully anesthetized.

Gas:

• Entails breathing through a mask, depending on what type.
• In older machines, a little balloon the size of your two thumbs holds your tongue out of the way so it does not obstruct your breathing.
• In newer machines, you have the pleasure of having a tube down your throat but you don’t usually remember it going in.
• You may wake up with a sore, dry throat because cylinder air is dry.
• Regardless of the type, you are basically told to count up to 10. After the gas hits your lungs, your blood becomes saturated with the gases and carried to your central nervous system where you are in all actuality, knocked out.

Your anesthesiologist

Your anesthesiologist must know for your weight and body fat percentage what will work best for you and in what amounts. On top of that, they will monitor your heart rate, breathing rate, your blood pressure, and much more.

If you are going under light sleep (IV), an anesthesiologist may not be present in the operating room with you. Some use nurses, and in others, the surgeon may be in charge of inducing light sleep anesthesia.