There
are three main categories of anaesthesia: general, regional and
local.
With
general anaesthesia, you are
unconscious and have no awareness of the surgical procedure
or other sensations.
If you have regional
anaesthesia, your anaesthetist injects medication near a
cluster of nerves to numb only the area of your body that
requires surgery. You may remain awake or you may be given a
sedative. The most common regional block used for shoulder
surgery is a
brachial plexus block
This form of pain control is appropriate
for operations involving the legs such as total joint
replacement of the hip or knee.
For some surgical procedures,
a
local anaesthetic may be injected
into the skin and tissues to numb a specific location.
Your anaesthetist, in consultation with your surgeon, will determine
the best type of anaesthetic for you, taking your desires into
consideration whenever possible. These options will be discussed
during your preoperative interview with the anaesthetist.
