Anesthesiology

An anesthetic used to induce unconsciousness during surgery. Once the surgery is complete, the anesthesiologist stops the anesthetic, and the patient wakes up in the recovery room.

An anesthetic used to numb only the portion of the body where the surgery is performed.

• Forms of regional anesthetics:
  • Epidural - used during labor and childbirth. An epidural is a local anesthetic delivered through a tiny tube called a catheter, which is placed in the small of the back, just outside the spinal canal. An epidural allows most women to fully participate in the birth experience (continuing to feel touch and pressure) while relieving most, if not all, of the pains of labor.
  • Sedation - administered as an injection or intravenously, narcotics or tranquilizers can help reduce the discomfort of labor but will not eliminate the pain entirely. They are also used to ease the anxiety that sometimes accompanies the delivery process.
  • Spinal – This anesthetic is similar to an epidural, but because it is administered with a needle into the spinal fluid, its effects are felt much faster.

An anesthetic given to temporarily stop the sense of pain in a particular area of the body. The patient remains conscious during a local anesthetic. This series of local injections can make you more comfortable for delivery and for the placement of sutures if you need them.