Anesthesia: General

Anesthesia means the absence of sensation. Anesthetic drugs are given before a surgical procedure to lessen or stop the pain in part or all of the body. General anesthesia puts the whole patient into a type of deep sleep.

There are three parts to anesthesia:

• sleep

• absence of pain and

• absence of movement

It is usual to start with an injection of a medication to induce sleep and then follow with anesthetic gases and oxygen to continue the process. A tube will be placed in the mouth to help the patient breathe. For some operations, muscle relaxants will be used to keep the patient from moving during surgery. Often, a powerful analgesic (pain killer) will be added to the mixture.

The amount of anesthesia that is given depends on:

• the type and length of the surgery and

• the patient's age, weight, and condition

After surgery, anesthesia is stopped. Short acting drugs simply wear off. Anesthetic gases are replaced by air or oxygen. Special drugs may be needed to reverse the effects of muscle relaxants and pain killers. Once awake, the patient's breathing tube will be removed.

Short term anesthetics, used for short and same-day surgical procedures, wear off quickly. Other general anesthetics wear off more slowly.

General anesthesia side effects that can occur after surgery include:

• nausea and vomiting

• headache

• dry mouth

• temporary loss of memory and

• lingering tiredness

Medications can help relieve these side effects. General anesthesia patients should not eat until they are awake and can swallow comfortably. They should not plan on driving a car or making any important decisions for at least 24 hours after their surgery. Post-surgical instructions should be carefully followed.

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