St. John's Services Surgery Surgery Patient Guidelines Anesthesia Care
St John's Services Anesthesia Care

Anesthesia Care

An anesthesia provider will talk with you prior to your surgery, perform an exam and go over your past history or experiences with anesthesia. 

The anesthesia provider will discuss the types of anesthesia and what will be used during your surgery. This will depend on your current health, the type of surgery and personal wishes. The anesthesia provider and the surgeon will determine the best type of anesthesia for you. 

Types of Anesthesia

 

There are several types of anesthesia techniques available:
 

  • General Anesthesia. You will be unconscious. A breathing device may be used to assist your breathing during surgery. If you have this type of anesthesia, you may have some soreness in your throat after surgery.
  • Regional or Spinal Anesthesia. This is an injection that creates numbness in the area where you are having surgery. Epidural or spinal blocks help numb the abdomen and legs at the same time. Other types of nerve blocks may be done to numb the arms or legs. With regional or spinal anesthesia, you should feel no pain. You may be awake or be given IV sedation to maintain your comfort level.
  • Monitored Anesthesia Care. Uses both local anesthetic at the incision site and medicine injected into your IV.
  • Local Anesthesia. Medicine is injected around the incision site creating a feeling of numbness. You will feel numb only in the area of the surgery. You may be given other medication to help you relax, but you will be awake during the procedure. The surgeon often administers this type of anesthetic when operating on smaller areas of the body.