Understanding Anesthesia Options

Anesthesia options depend on which procedure you are considering, your age, and your health. At my practice, we offer different types, including:

• General anesthesia- Under this type of anesthesia, the patient is unconscious. The anesthesia is provided either by a mask, through intravenous line hooked up to the arm or hand, or through a breathing tube. At my practice, we use general anesthesia for breast reduction surgery in Los Angeles.
• Regional anesthesia- The patient receives a shot of local anesthesia to the nerves of the specific area to be treated. This type of anesthesia is used when large areas of the body need numbing, such as the leg or arm.
• Local anesthesia- Local anesthesia numbs a small area of skin where an incision will be made. This type of anesthesia can be administered as a shot or applied as an ointment spray. When applied to the skin, it is often called a topical anesthetic and is used for smaller outpatient procedures.
• Twilight anesthesia- Also known as conscious sedation, this anesthesia uses sedatives to lower your awareness without the completely unconscious state achieved with general anesthesia. Regional anesthetics are sometimes combined with twilight.

As noted, the type of anesthetic used depends on which procedure is performed as well as other factors, such as your health. Your surgeon will determine which type of anesthesia is right for you.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 14th, 2011 at 10:52 pm and is filed under Breast Reduction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.