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ANESTHESIA
What
is Anesthesia?
Anesthesia
keeps you pain free during surgery. Your fear and anxiety
can be alleviated by the medications you are given by your
anesthesia provider. Anesthesia can cause you to lose feeling
or sensation during the operation with or without loss of
consciousness. Your surgeon and your anesthesiologist will
discuss with you the type of anesthesia which will meet your
needs during your surgery. An anesthesiologist or certified
registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), under the direction of
an anesthesiologist, will administer anesthesia during your
procedure. If you are concerned about who will be giving you
anesthesia, you should discuss this during your pre-operative
interview with the anesthesiologist or with your surgeon.
You will have an opportunity to speak with an anesthesiologist
the morning of your surgery.
The SurgiCenter
of Baltimore is well known for excellence in the field of
anesthesia. Services for anesthesia are provided by members
of our staff who are board certified and have dedicated their
practice to the SurgiCenter of Baltimore. The Center also
uses Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists under the supervision
of our Anesthesiologists.
A member
of the anesthesia staff will thoroughly explain the type of
anesthesia to be used for your procedure and will remain with
you during surgery.
The SurgiCenter
of Baltimore utilizes Bispectral Index™ monitoring (BIS™)the
latest technology in the delivery of anesthesia. This system
brings a new level of control for faster more predictable
recovery.
Types
of Anesthesia
Local
Anesthesia:
You remain awake, but the part of your body that will be operated
upon is made numb to pain. This loss of pain sensation is
produced by directly injecting the area to be treated with
numbing medication.
Monitored
Anesthesia Care (MAC):
You will
be given pain medication and/or a sedative, in conjunction
with a local anesthetic, to keep you comfortable during the
procedure.
Patients often recover quickly from this type of anesthesia.
Regional Anesthesia:
You remain awake, but the entire area of your body affected
by the surgery is made free of pain.
Regional anesthetics such as spinal, epidural or caudal are
most commonly used in obstetrics and surgical procedures of
the lower abdomen, pelvis and lower extremities.
Nerve Blocks are a type of regional
anesthesia most commonly used to numb a single extremity such
as one arm or one leg. You may also receive sedatives to ease
your anxiety. These sedatives do not cause unconsciousness,
but may leave you with little or no memory of the procedure.
General
Anesthetic:
You are
asleep and your whole body is made free of pain.
It is given by intravenous injection of medications and inhalation
of anesthetic gases. You may have a breathing tube during
the procedure to help you breathe. It is placed after you
are asleep and removed before you awake.
Common
Side Effects of Anesthesia
Mild
nausea or vomiting for a day or two after surgery is not uncommon.
It is more likely to occur if you have a history of nausea
and vomiting with past surgeries, if you are susceptible to
motion sickness or if you had any type of laparoscopic procedure.
Depending on the type of anesthesia you receive, you may experience
a sore throat, headache, drowsiness, muscle ache and/or fatigue
for a few days after your procedure.
PRIOR
TO YOUR VISIT
PREPARING
FOR THE DAY OF SURGERY
DAY
OF SURGERY
AFTER
SURGERY
MANAGING
YOUR DISCOMFORT
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
INFORMATION
FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
PATIENTS
RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITIES
ADVANCE
DIRECTIVES
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