Anesthesia refers to the painless process of performing medical procedures using various drugs. Anesthesia, which can be applied in many different applications from open heart operations to simple tooth extractions, can generally be performed in three or four sub-types. The type of anesthesia to be applied is decided by considering the health status of the person, the length of the procedure and the type of procedure to be applied. You can follow the rest of the article for other topics you are curious about the anesthesia procedure.
What is Anesthesia?
Anesthesia refers to the applications performed to prevent pain and increase patient comfort during surgery or various other medical interventions. . The working logic of anesthesia comes from its suppressive effect on the central nervous system. The nervous system mainly consists of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve structures. Messages coming out of the brain and returning to the brain are carried by the spinal cord and the nerve network that disperses throughout the body. In anesthesia applications, it prevents the normal functioning of this conduction system and prevents the transmission of pain stimuli to the brain.
What are the Types of Anesthesia?
There are many different sub-types of anesthesia depending on its effectiveness and application. General anesthesia is a type of anesthesia in which various drugs are administered to the patient through respiratory and intravenous lines. This procedure also causes the patient to experience temporary loss of consciousness. During general anesthesia applications, all muscles, including the muscles that allow the patient to breathe, are paralyzed. Therefore, during the procedure, the patient's breathing is carried out through the respirator. The person performing the anesthesia application regularly monitors the vital signs of the patient during the procedure. Examination of parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygenation rate of blood is very valuable in terms of ensuring a safe surgical procedure.
In regional anesthesia, which is another type of anesthesia, drugs are injected into various parts of the body to provide numbness. This can be done with a needle or flexible catheter. In this type of anesthesia, while numbness is created in the body area to be applied, patients maintains consciousness. In regional anesthesia applications, as the name of the procedure can be understood, the nerve cells in the applied area are desensitized. Procedures known as spinal block or epidural anesthesia refer to performing regional anesthesia from the spine area. In these applications, the patient does not feel pain during the procedure thanks to the drugs given to the cerebrospinal fluid or the epidural space.
Local anesthesia is a type of anesthesia in which a small body area is numbed for the procedure to be applied. This anesthesia application can be applied on the skin by means of creams or sprays, or it can also be performed as a drug injection into the area with a needle. Local anesthesia, which is applied as an injection, is usually applied to many different points. No matter how it is done, a few minutes after local anesthesia applications, a state of numbness occurs in the relevant area.
What Is Anesthesia For?
Anesthesia applications are basically procedures performed to prevent the patient from feeling pain during the medical procedure. The application areas of anesthesia may differ according to its subtype. Asking to stay awake during major operations may not seem like a very sensible option. Therefore, general anesthesia is generally applied before major surgical operations. When deciding on the use of general anesthesia, factors such as the long duration of the procedure, the loss of blood during the procedure, or the fact that breathing may be affected during the procedure are taken into account. General anesthesia applications can also be defined as drug-induced coma. Apart from general anesthesia, local anesthesia can be used for minor procedures such as suturing the skin, and regional anesthesia can be used for actions such as childbirth.
Can There Be Awareness During Anesthesia?
Although very rare, a situation defined as awareness during the operation may occur after very effective general anesthesia applications. Raising awareness during the operation is a complication of general anesthesia seen in approximately one of the twenty thousand general anesthesia applications. However, today's advancing technology allows instant monitoring of vital signs and Awareness of anesthesia is seen much less frequently thanks to the drugs used.
How Anesthesia is Performed?
How anesthesia is performed varies according to the type of procedure. There are also issues that patients should pay attention to before anesthesia. Especially before the procedure, it is recommended to make sure that you clear the question marks about solid or liquid food consumption, awakening, hospital stay and discharge by exchanging ideas with the anesthesiologist. Regional anesthesia (regional anesthesia) applications are performed as a drug injection to a region close to the area where the nerve roots are located in the spine, while local anesthesia applications are performed by using drugs with less effect. is performed. After the local anesthesia applied shortly before the procedure, it is usually waited for a few minutes in order for the relevant area to become numb. Although this procedure results in the disappearance of the feeling of pain, it should be noted that some pressure may be felt. If the feeling of pain persists despite starting the procedure, it is recommended to inform your doctor about this.
The effects of local anesthesia usually disappear within an hour. During this process, tingling or twitching may occur in the relevant area. You can get support from specialist physicians by applying to health institutions for other issues you are wondering about anesthesia applications. We wish you healthy days.
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