About your Anaesthetic

Most operations will involve an anaesthetic, the type offered or required will depend upon the operation and your health. 

• If you meet an anaesthetist during your POAC visits, they will discuss the types of anaesthetic you are likely to undergo.
• If you do not meet your anaesthetist at the time of your POAC visit, you will meet your anaesthetist before your operation, normally on the the morning of your operation, but it may be earlier if you are admitted before the day of surgery.  They will discuss with you the specific and safest options available to you at this point.

If you have not undergone an anaesthetic before, it can be daunting.  You will be looked after by an experienced anaesthetic team, which is led by an Anaesthetic Consultant, often alongside trainee anaesthetists, and an Operating Department Practitioner, they will be with you throughout your operation to ensure you are comfortable and safe.  They may also be involved with your care after your operation and anaesthetic.

What 'is' an anaesthetic?

The word anaesthesia means “loss of sensation”.

• This can involve a simple local anaesthetic injection which numbs a small part of the body, such as a finger or around a tooth.
• It can involve a regional anaesthetic where local anaesthetic injections can be used to numb the whole or part of a limb
• A spinal anaesthetic or epidural anaesthetic is an injection into the back that can numb the legs, abdomen or provide pain relief after operations
• General Anaesthesia is receiving medications to cause temporary unconsciousness .  These medicines also affect the function of the heart, lungs and circulation. As a result, general anaesthesia is only given by highly trained doctors - “anaesthetists”.
• Depending on the type of surgery and your health, you may have more then one of the anaesthetic options for your operation.

The Royal College of Anaesthetists have produced excellent leaflets about the different forms of anaesthesia.  These are linked below;

Royal College of Anaesthetists - Anaesthesia Explained

Royal College of Anaesthetists - Types of anaesthetic

Royal College of Anaesthetists - Leaflets