Anesthesia
Anesthesia is the administration of medications to a patient at the time of surgery that eliminates pain, anxiety and all discomfort while surgery is being preformed. Modern anesthesia for a healthy patient is very safe and effective.
We commonly use four types of anesthesia:
1) general, 2) regional, 3) local and 4) conscious sedation. Anesthesia is administered by a specialist in anesthesia who has had specialty training after medical school and is eligible or has passed specialty board examination.
General Anesthesia induces a deep state of sleep rendering a patient completely unaware of the surgery which is being preformed. This is the type of anesthesia that is used most commonly for hernia and gallbladder surgery. It may be used for any type of surgery but may be more that what is required for more minor procedures. Ether was one of the first medications used for successful general anesthesia but it is no longer used today.
Ether has been replaced by safer modern anesthetic gases and intravenous medications which are selected and combined by an anesthesiologist for the particular needs of each patient. Each patient prior to surgery is examined and interviewed by the anesthesiologist who then tailors and plans the anesthesia procedure.