Your anaesthetic

Some types of anaesthesia stops you feeling pain and other sensations. It can be given in various ways and does not always make you unconscious.

Local anaesthesia involves injections which numb a small part of your body. You stay conscious but free from pain.

Regional anaesthesia involves injections which numb a larger or deeper part of the body. You stay conscious but free from pain.

General anaesthesia gives a state of controlled unconsciousness. It is essential for some operations. You are unconscious and feel nothing.

The choice of anaesthetic depends on:

• your operation
• your answers to the questions you have been asked
• your physical condition
• your preferences and the reasons for them
• your anaesthetist’s recommendations for you and the reasons for them