The anaesthetic – general information

The type of the anaesthetic depends on the type of your operation, your medical conditions, preferences, available staff, equipment and skills.
Most of the time the anaesthetic will be given or started in the anaesthetic room. Monitoring will be applied to measure your heart rate, heart trace, blood pressure and oxygen saturation in the blood.

A drip (intravenous cannula) will be inserted to be able to give fluids and anaesthetic and other medication (including narcotics, pain killers, antibiotics, anti-sickness, anti-inflammatories, fluids and blood if needed). Blood is only given if really necessary (e.g. after a larger blood loss)

The anaesthetist will monitor and look after you at all times throughout the operation.

The following anaesthetics are available:

Local anaesthetic injection / infiltration

To numb a small part of your body
Usually carried out by the surgeon
You stay conscious during the operation but without pain

Regional anaesthesia / injection

Injection around a nerve or nerve bundle to numb a larger part of your body
You may stay conscious during the operation but wihout pain
You may also be given drugs to sedate you (to make you sleepy)
It may be combined with a general anaesthetic

General anaesthesia

You will be asleep for the operation
You are unconscious and won’t feel anything during the operation