About Your Anaesthetic

General Anaesthetic

A General Anaesthetic gives a state of controlled unconsciousness where you are asleep and feel nothing.

The main way of starting an anaesthetic is by injecting anaesthetic drugs into a vein through a cannula (a 'drip') in your hand. If this is not possible, you can breathe anaesthetic gases through a mask which make you go to sleep.

Once you are asleep, your anaesthetist will stay with you and continue to give you drugs to keep you asleep, closely monitoring you throughout.

Once the operation is finished the drugs will be stopped and you will wake up soon after.

There is a patient information leaflet available which explains more about anaesthesia - please click on the link below:  

You and Your Anaesthetic

If you are having major surgery (surgery followed by care on the High Dependency or Intensive Care Unit) you may find this leaflet helpful -

Your anaesthetic for major surgery

Local Anaesthetic

A Local Anaesthetic involves injections that numb a small area of your body. You will be awake but feel no pain.

Regional Anaesthetic (a 'Block')

A Regional Anaesthetic involves injections that numb larger areas of the body such as your legs or an arm.

These include spinal and epidural anaesthesia or a nerve block.

You can choose to stay awake or, if you prefer, drugs that make you sleepy can be given to help you relax.

The patient information leaflets below explain these in a bit more detail - just click on the link. They are part of a series developed by the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

Your Spinal Anaesthetic

Epidural Pain Relief After Surgery

Nerve Blocks for Surgery on the Shoulder, Arm or Hand
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