What is the side effect of regional anesthesia?
For regional anesthesia, an anesthetic is injected close to a nerve, a bundle of nerves, or the spinal cord. In rare cases, nerve damage can cause persistent numbness, weakness, or pain. Regional anesthesia also carries the risk of systemic toxicity if the anesthetic is absorbed through the bloodstream into the body.
Where do you inject regional anesthesia?
They are injected near the spinal canal to block sensations in the lower body or limbs. Regional anesthesia is different from general anesthesia, which works on the entire body, not just the surgery site, and the patient is conscious during surgery.
What are the 3 types of regional anesthesia?
Regional anesthesia makes a specific part of the body numb to relieve pain or allow surgical procedures to be done. Types of regional anesthesia include spinal anesthesia (also called subarachnoid block), epidural anesthesia, and nerve blocks.
Is regional anesthesia better than general anesthesia?
Regional anesthesia is the preferred anesthetic technique for patients undergoing orthopedic surgery because it is associated with less postoperative pain and nausea, a lower incidence of blood clots, less blood loss, and a lower infection rate compared with general anesthesia.
What is the difference between regional and local anesthesia?
Local anesthesia numbs just a small area of tissue where a minor procedure is to be done. Regional anesthesia numbs a larger (but still limited) part of the body and does not make the person unconscious. Sometimes medicine is added to help the person relax or fall asleep.
Why do surgeons prefer general anesthesia?
The primary goal of general anesthesia is rendering a patient unconscious and unable to feel painful stimuli while controlling autonomic reflexes.
What are the risks of anesthesia?
The following are possible complications of general anesthesia:
- Sore throat.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Damage to teeth.
- Lacerations (cuts) to the lips, tongue, gums, throat.
- Nerve injury secondary to body positioning.
- Awareness under anesthesia.
- Anaphylaxis or allergic reaction.
- Malignant hyperthermia.
What is the safest anesthesia for surgery?
The safest type of anesthesia is local anesthesia, an injection of medication that numbs a small area of the body where the procedure is being performed. Rarely, a patient will experience pain or itching where the medication was injected.