General Anaesthetic

Many procedures require a general anaesthetic, which means you are given some medicines to aid becoming unconscious, along with some medicines to relieve pain and help you remain still during the surgery. This is usually initially given through a drip (IV cannula) in your hand or arm. You will also get a breathing tube for assisting your breathing whilst you are asleep. The medications are stopped at the end of the procedure to allow you to wake up.

Conscious Sedation

Conscious sedation is defined as a medication-induced state that reduces the patient’s level of consciousness during which the patient may respond purposefully to verbal commands or light touch. Common procedures include eye surgery or nitrous oxide during childbirth.

Procedural Sedation

A number of procedures (such as Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy) are given with a 'deep sedation' anaesthetic. The benefits being improved recovery and less chance of post procedure nausea and vomiting. Patients are given intravenous medications to make sure you are comfortable, although there is an increased risk of remembering some parts of the procedure, most people do not find that distressing and would choose the same type of anaesthetic again.

Regional Anaesthesia

Regional anaesthesia is anaesthesia affecting a large part of the body, such as a limb or the lower half of the body. Regional anaesthetic techniques can be divided into central and peripheral techniques. The central techniques include neuraxial blockade (epidural and/or spinal anaesthesia). The peripheral techniques can be divided into plexus blocks e.g. brachial plexus blocks and single nerve blocks.

It can be used as a sole form of analgesia (pain relief) or combined with sedation or a general anaesthetic. The blockade of pain sensation can last up to 24 hours. Whilst many regional anaesthetics involve a single injection, a catheter can sometimes be inserted through the needle and left in place in the tissue surrounding the nerve so that local anaesthetic solution can be infused over several days.

Some procedures (such as caesarean sections or some operations on a limb) can be done under regional anaesthetic. Here, your anaesthetist gives an anaesthetic only to the area having the surgery (e.g.a spinal injection or epidural, or an injection to the particular limb.) You will likely be aware and awake during the procedure, but comfortable.

Local anaesthesia

Procedures such as eye operations are often done with local anaesthetic only which is applied to the relevant part of the body. These are chosen where the procedure can be done safely and comfortably with the particular body part being “blocked” by local anaesthesia.