Anesthesiology

Anaesthetic is a commonly used drug in the medical industry during surgeries and other procedures. It is intended to prevent sensation (especially pain) during medical procedures. It simply numbs a specific part or the whole body and you feel nothing at all. It is also called ‘laughing gas’.

The chemical compound of anesthesia is nitrous oxide and it was initially discovered in 1772. However, the first surgery under anesthesia wasn’t performed until 1846. It was a dental surgery performed by Dr. William T. G. Morton. Later, anesthesia was classified under two types.

1. Local anesthesia- local anesthesia is when the drug is injected is a specific and small region and numbs the area. This causes insensibility towards all the sensation but the patient is awake and conscious. For example, during dental procedures such as root canal.
2. Regional anesthesia- regional anesthesia is also an injection much like local anesthesia but it is injected for larger parts. Under regional anesthesia, the patient is conscious but numb to the pain.
3. General anesthesia- general is when the effect of anesthesia blocks pain in the whole body and causes the patient to lose consciousness. This is often given to patients during lengthy surgeries.

If you are going to be injected with local or regional, then you can also opt to take a sedative (also an anaesthetic) to induce a sleep like state. Just in case you do not want to be awake for the procedure.

Anaesthetics is a big field and there are doctors who are specifically trained solely in the field. They are called anaesthetists. Their responsibilities include more than just injecting the drug. They also:

• Determine the kind of anesthesia to put you under
• Discuss the effects and the risks of the anesthesia at length
• Maintain the blood transfusion during surgery  
• Ensure that you stay under the anesthesia throughout and have a pain-free surgery

At Mya Care, the doctors will answer all your queries and concerns so you can rest assured before you get injected the anesthesia.

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