Anesthesia
What is Anesthesia
Local Anesthesia
Monitored Anesthesia Care
General Anesthesia
Who Administers Anesthesia?
Preparing for Anesthesia
Drug Interactions
Post-Anesthesia Guidelines
What is Anesthesia?
Anesthesia literally means "without pain" and, in fact, the practice of administering anesthesia is dedicated to the relief of pain and the total care of the surgical patient before, during, and after surgery. The goal of all anesthesia is to provide a safe surgical environment in which the patient is comfortable and the surgeon can concentrate on the operation.
There are three basic types of anesthesia:
· Local anesthesia numbs a small area or body part
· Monitored anesthesia care (MAC), also known as IV sedation or twilight anesthesia, makes the patient sleepy and less responsive to pain
· General anesthesia renders the patient unconscious and totally unaware of pain
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Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia numbs a particular area of the body. The term local anesthesia refers to a number of different techniques such as topical, injected, and nerve blocks. While local anesthesia is extremely safe, there can be complications such as pain, bruising, hematoma, infection, allergic reaction, and nerve damage.
During your initial consultation with the doctors
and staff of The Metropolitan
Institute for Plastic Surgery, you and your doctor will
determine the appropriate type of anesthesia for you. The
doctor will describe how the anesthesia will be administered
and detail any possible risks or side effects. You will
also be provided with instructions on how best to prepare
for anesthesia and specific post-anesthesia guidelines.
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Monitored Anesthesia Care
Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC), also known as IV Sedation or Twilight Anesthesia, is a safe and effective method of anesthesia for procedures that require relaxation but not unconsciousness. During the procedure, the anesthesia specialist delivers varying amounts of sedation and anesthetic medication through an intravenous (IV) line, monitoring the patient's comfort level and increasing and decreasing the medication as needed.
Throughout the procedure, your vital signs and other bodily reactions are monitored with a blood pressure cuff, hear rate monitor, pulse oximeter, and an EKG machine. MAC is typically combined with an injection of local anesthetic at the surgical site for additional pain control and to minimize bleeding.
IV sedation is a good middle ground between local anesthesia (where the patient is awake) and general anesthesia (where the patient is asleep). It is sometimes preferred to general anesthesia, because the recovery time is shorter. In addition, the dosage of twilight anesthesia can be lightened to a level that allows the patient to respond to verbal commands and to move with assistance.
During your initial consultation with the doctors and staff
of The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery, you and
your doctor will determine the appropriate type of anesthesia
for you. The doctor will describe how the anesthesia will
be administered and detail any possible risks or side effects.
You will also be provided with instructions on how best
to prepare for anesthesia and specific post-anesthesia guidelines.
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General Anesthesia
With general anesthesia, the patient is unconscious and does not see, hear, or feel anything. It provides pain relief, muscle relaxation, and amnesia so you don't remember the details of your surgery. General anesthesia is administered using IV or inhaled medications.
Unlike IV sedation, general anesthesia does not require that additional injections of local anesthesia be used as well. During your surgery, you will be monitored by the anesthesia specialist for changes in heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen and carbon dioxide blood levels, and heart rhythm.
General anesthesia offers many advantages. The main advantage is that it allows the patient to remain motionless for long periods of time and allows the surgeon to operate on multiple or large areas of the body without having to stop and inject more local anesthetic. There is, however, an increased risk of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, sore throat, shivering, disorientation, and a longer recovery period. There may also be an increased risk of complications such as heart attack, stroke, or death.
During your initial consultation with the doctors and staff
of The Metropolitan Institute for Plastic Surgery, you and
your doctor will determine the appropriate type of anesthesia
for you. The doctor will describe how the anesthesia will
be administered and detail any possible risks or side effects.
You will also be provided with instructions on how best
to prepare for anesthesia and specific post-anesthesia guidelines.
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Who Administers Anesthesia?
There are several specialists who can administer your anesthesia.
Local anesthetics are most often administered by the doctor
performing your surgery. Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC)
may be administered by a registered nurse under doctor's
orders or by an anesthesiologist or a nurse anesthetist.
General anesthesia requires an anesthesiologist or a nurse
anesthetist.
An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who ensures that the patient is safe and comfortable before, during, and after surgery. An anesthesiology residency is three or four years long and is completed after medical school. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are advanced practice nurses who complete a graduate-level nursing anesthesia program before passing a national exam.
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Preparing for Anesthesia
Unless you're having a procedure requiring only local anesthesia,
your doctor will most likely request that you come to surgery
with an empty stomach. The usual instruction is not to eat
or drink anything after midnight before surgery. Always
follow your doctor's specific instructions when preparing
for surgery.
Most patients should continue to take regularly scheduled
medications up to and including the morning of surgery.
Discuss all medications you take with your doctor prior
to surgery.
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Drug Interactions
Many prescription medications,
over the counter medications, and herbal remedies, interact
with anesthesia and can cause adverse affects during and
after surgery. It is extremely important to discuss all
medications and herbal remedies you are taking with your
doctor prior to surgery. Depending on your condition, the
medicine may be discontinued before surgery, or the dosage
of anesthesia may be adjusted to accommodate for the anticipated
variations of medicine levels in your bloodstream at the
time of your surgery. Never stop taking a prescribed medication
without discussing it first with your doctor.
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Post-Anesthesia Guidelines
If your procedure requires anesthesia combined with any form of sedation (oral or intravenous), you will need someone to drive you home after your surgery. Depending on the type of anesthesia used, it is a good idea to have someone stay with you at least for the first 24 hours after your surgery.
Standard post-anesthesia instructions for the first 24 hours after leaving the hospital or surgery center include:
· Do not consume alcohol
· Do not drive a car or operate heavy machinery
· Do not sign any legal documents
· Do not make any important decisions.
The doctors and staff of The Metropolitan Institute for
Plastic Surgery will provide you with specific post-surgery
instructions, as well as a list of warning signs that you
should be aware of. They will check on you after your surgery
and will be available to answer any post-surgery questions
you have.
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