Anesthesia is a procedure in which a patient is rendered insensitive to pain in a variety of ways prior
to surgery or procedure. At Carrillo Surgery Center specially-trained anesthesiologists provide high
quality and safe anesthesia. Anesthetics include sleep, drowsiness or numbness so the patient will not
feel pain during the procedure.
There are four main types of anesthesia and the type of anesthesia you receive will be influenced by one or more of the following factors:
Type of surgery you are having
Estimated length and the site of the surgical procedure
Your overall medical condition and health status
Medications you currently take
Your surgeons preference
You will meet with your anesthesiologist prior to your surgery/procedure to discuss your options.
Four types of anesthesia include:
General anesthesia - you are completely asleep and unconscious with total loss of sensation.
Regional anesthesia - the anesthesiologist injects you with an anesthetic to the area of the body requiring surgery/undergoing procedure to provide numbness or loss of pain sensation. The spinal, epidural or peripheral injection is made near a duster or nerves and is called a nerve block. You may remain awake and alert or be sedated. If you are sedated during regional anesthesia then you are receiving monitored anesthesia.
Monitored anesthesia - (or MAC sedation) involves the administration of drugs to produce sedation and analgesia (insensibility to pain without loss of consciousness). In addition, the anesthesiologist will administer local anesthesia to the operative site.
Local anesthesia - is an injection that provides numbness to a small area and is use primarily for minor surgery or procedures (pain management procedures at Carrillo Surgery Center).
Your anesthesiologist will explain these methods to you at length after your arrival at Carrillo Surgery Center.
He will fully inform you of the advantages, side effects and possible complications of each.
This is a common patient concern regarding post-operative nausea and vomiting. Significant advantages have
been made in the treatment of post-op nausea and vomiting including effective and preventative drugs.
A variety of pain-relief methods are used to decrease any potential post-operative pain. Intravenous drugs
along with other pain relievers are highly effective and available to you. In addition prior to surgery the
pre-op nurse or your referring physician will ensure that you have an adequate prescription to relieve any
post-operative pain.
To help ensure your safety while undergoing your procedure it is essential that you comply with the
instructions (Patient Information) given to you regarding food and drink. Typically, you are not to eat
or drink anything including water after midnight the day of your surgery or 6 hours prior to your pain
management appointment. This allows your stomach to be empty of food and reduce your chances of becoming sick.
Please bring a list of all your prescription medications that you are taking and include herbal supplements.
Any medication can potentially interact with your anesthetic and cause problems if the anesthesiologist has
not been made aware of them.
Please be sure to mention any drug allergies and past problems with anesthetics to the anesthesiologist.
Any sensitivity to latex, dye, tape and food allergies should also be mentioned.
After you have recovered from your anesthesia, you will receive complete discharge instructions regarding the
surgical procedure/pain management procedure, anesthesia, food intake and range of activities allowed. It is
especially important that someone is available to take you home: you are NOT permitted to drive yourself home
after receiving any anesthesia.
