General Anesthesia

What is General Anaesthesia?

General anaesthesia is used to produce a state of controlled unconsciousness, which is required to perform surgical procedures (so that the person does not move, or feel pain during the procedure). Medications known as general anaesthetics are used to put you to sleep, or make you feel comfortable or safer during the surgery.

Why is it done?

It is done to:

• Relieve pain if the surgery would be too painful or will take long.
• Make you feel comfortable or relax you by taking care of anxiety.
• Help in surgeries which can affect your ability to breathe.

Who needs it?

General anaesthesia is required in the following cases:

• Surgical procedures requiring deep relaxation for long periods of time
• Surgeries in which local or regional anaesthesia is insufficient.
• Surgeries with expected significant blood loss
• Surgeries with expected breathing issues.
• Uncooperative patients require general anaesthesia even for smaller procedures

How is it performed?

It is performed as follows:

• Before beginning the surgery, a specialist called anaesthetist will take a thorough medical history which includes a history of allergy, smoking, drinking and medications consumed by you regularly. Instructions on food or liquid intake will be given to you.
• The anaesthetic medication given to you could be either of the following:
  • Liquid: This is injectable and is injected into the veins using a cannula (a thin, plastic tube feeding into a vein).
  • Gas: Which is inhaled using a mask.

• The passage of signals along the nerves is interrupted by the anaesthetics, thereby inhibiting the sensation of pain recognition by the brain.
• Once the effect of anaesthetic starts, the individual experiences a feeling of light-headedness, before becoming unconscious within a minute or so. This will stay so throughout the procedure. Intravenous painkiller medications are also given for taking care of post-operative pain.
• Throughout the procedure, the vitals (pulse, breathing and blood pressure) are monitored.

1. National Health Service [Internet]. UK; General anaesthesia
2. Better health channel. Department of Health and Human Services [internet]. State government of Victoria; General anaesthetics
3. Smith G, Goldman J. General Anesthesia for Surgeons. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-.
4. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: US National Library of Medicine; General anesthesia
5. André Gottschalk et al. Is Anesthesia Dangerous?. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011 Jul; 108(27): 469–474. PMID: 21814522