General anaesthesia or general anesthesia is a medically induced coma with loss of protective reflexes, resulting from the administration of one or more general anaesthetic agents. It is carried out to allow medical procedures that would otherwise be intolerably painful for the patient; or where the nature of the procedure itself precludes the patient being awake.

A variety of drugs may be administered, with the overall aim of ensuring unconsciousness, amnesia, analgesia, loss of reflexes of the autonomic nervous system, and in some cases paralysis of skeletal muscles. The optimal combination of drugs for any given patient and procedure is typically selected by an anaesthetist, or another provider such as an operating department practitioner, anaesthetist practitioner, physician assistant or nurse anaesthetist (depending on local practice), in consultation with the patient and the surgeon, dentist, or other practitioner performing the operative procedure. As life expectancy is increasing worldwide, a growing number of elderly multimorbid patients will require surgery and anaesthesia in the future.

 Lower your risk of side effects

The most important thing you can do to prevent anesthesia side effects is make sure a physician anesthesiologist is involved in your care. A physician anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in anesthesia, pain management and critical care medicine.

Before your surgery, meet with the physician anesthesiologist to discuss your medical history, health habits and lifestyle. This information will help the physician anesthesiologist know how you might react to anesthesia and take steps to lower your risk of side effects. This meeting is also a good time for you to ask questions and learn what to expect.

Types of anesthesi and their side effects

There are four main types of anesthesia used during medical procedures and surgery, and the potential risks vary with each. The types of anesthesia include the following:

General anesthesia

General anesthesia causes you to lose consciousness. This type of anesthesia, while very safe, is the type most likely to cause side effects. If you’re having general anesthesia, a physician anesthesiologist should monitor you during and after your procedure to address any side effects and watch for the possibility of more serious complications.

Monitored anesthesia care or IV sedation

For some procedures, you may receive medication that makes you sleepy and keeps you from feeling pain. There are different levels of sedation  some patients are drowsy, but they are awake and can talk; others fall asleep and don’t remember the procedure. Potential side effects of sedation, although there are fewer than with general anesthesia, include headache, nausea and drowsiness.

Local anesthesia

This is the type of anesthesia least likely to cause side effects, and any side effects that do occur are usually minor. Also called local anesthetic, this is usually a one-time injection of a medication that numbs just a small part of your body where you’re having a procedure such as a skin biopsy. You may be sore or experience itching where the medication was injected. If you’ve had this type of reaction to local anesthesia in the past, be sure to tell your physician. You may be given a different type of anesthetic or a medication to counteract the side effects.

Journal of Surgery and Anesthesia addresses all aspects of surgery & anesthesia practice, including anesthetic administration, pharmacokinetics, preoperative and postoperative considerations, coexisting disease and other complicating factors, General Surgery, Robotic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, GI Surgery, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Urology, Surgical Oncology, Radiology, Ophthalmology, Pediatric Surgery, Trauma Services, Minimal Access Surgery, Endocrine Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Techniques and Procedures. Submit manuscripts at https://www.longdom.org/submissions/surgery-anesthesia.html

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Kate Williams

Editorial Assistant

Journal of Surgery and Anesthesia.

Email: surgery@emedicalsci.com