The word anaesthesia is Greek (an-aisthesis) which means "without feeling".
Most major and many minor operations are carried out under general anaesthesia. In general anaesthesia, the patients are completely unconscious, pain free and will be not be aware of events.
In intravenous anaesthesia, anaesthesia can be induced and maintained by drugs injected into a vein or by inhalational anaesthesia, which is use of anaesthetic gases inhaled by patient. The methods are commonly combined.
Though general anaesthesia has been in use for more than 150 years, complete explanation as to how various drugs act on brain has still not been found. However on the strength of clinical and research knowledge accumulated, anaesthesia is safe.
The patient's past and present health, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, drug allergies, your and family members abnormal response to an anaesthetic, state of your teeth, medications on will be collected and analyzed.
The procedure and all related matters will be explained to you for your reassurance.
The chances of death due to anaesthetics administered is one in 200,000 compared to chances of being murdered of one to 100,000 (in the UK). Your premedical condition has a bearing. To reassure you, death rate for coronary artery surgery is some 1-2% (the important risk) and far outweighs anaesthesia risk on its own. Overall risk is low for routine surgery. Chances of a patient being able to recall events during an operation is calculated at one in 1,000.
Pre-medical conditions e.g. diabetes, asthma, chest pain, high blood pressure should be treated appropriately before surgery. If you feel unwell before surgery, have chest infection or flu, you should make it known to surgical team. Please quit smoking six to eight weeks before surgery. If you are overweight, some desirable loss of weight is helpful.
For any routine operation, solid food will not be permitted at least six hours prior to surgery. Water is allowed until two hours to surgery. Most medications are continued up till surgery time and can be taken with sips of water.
Certain drugs such as aspirin and warfarin may need to be discontinued and you will be told about this. Sedative drugs may be given an hour or two before surgery either as intramuscular injection or more often in the form of tablets.
Qualified doctors administer anaesthesia and are assisted by technicians. In major surgery, a consultant anaesthetist supervises. Specialist training for becoming a consultant in anaesthesia takes six years minimum.
After monitors are attached to measure blood pressure, monitor heart beat and oxygen levels, an anaesthetic is injected into a vein in the lower arm or at back of the hand. Oxygen through a face mask will be administered as a safety measure.
You will soon drift off to sleep and wake up only at the end of the procedure.
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