Types of anaesthesia

As well as local and general anaesthetic, there are a number of other types of anaesthesia. Unlike general anaesthetic, these don't make you unconscious; they stop you feeling pain in a particular area of your body. The different types of anaesthetic are described below. regional anaesthetic this is a local anaesthetic given to a specific region of your body, giving numbness or pain relief for deeper operations where more extensive numbness is needed epidural anaesthesia a type of regional anaesthetic usually used to numb the lower half ofthe body; for example, as pain relief during labour and childbirth spinal anaesthetic a type of regional anaesthetic used to give total numbness lasting aboutthree hours to the lower parts of the body so surgery can be safely carried out in this area sedation medication that makes you feel sleepy and relaxes you both physically and mentally; it's sometimes used to keep you calm during minor, painful or unpleasant procedures Different types of anaesthesia can be used in combination. For example, a regional anaestheticcan be used with a general anaesthetic to relieve pain after an operation. A sedative isalso sometimes used with a regional anaesthetic to help you feel relaxed and calm during an operation, as well as pain-free.