Anesthesia is used in surgery to minimize pain, discomfort, and shock for surgical patients. Anesthesia is a vital part of surgical practice, allowing doctors to operate safely and painlessly on patients. The wide variety of anesthetics available allows anesthesiologists to select the most suitable type of anesthesia and anesthetic drug for the patient. Many people will experience some form of anesthesia during their lifetime, and will appreciate the lack of pain associated with it.

When anesthesia works as expected, the patient feels no pain during a procedure, and often does not remember the proceedings either. Anesthesia increases patient comfort, which can in turn reduce recovery times. With the knowledge that they are not inflicting pain, it also makes it easier for a medical staff to work.

There are several types of anesthesia which can be used depending on the needs of the surgery: general, local, regional, and conscious sedation. See the menu to the upper right and the video below featuring LRMC Anesthesiologist Dr. Eric J. Greensmith for more information about types of anesthesia.