Anesthesia helps to alleviate or prevent pain and discomfort during surgery, so the type of anesthesia that is used in a given surgery depends on your condition and how extensive the surgery is. General anesthesia places you into a state of a deep sleep, so you will need to receive oxygen during the procedure. Local anesthesia only numbs an area of the body, and you remain awake for the procedure.
When determining which type of anesthetic to use for your surgery, your surgeon will consider whether you have any known allergies. The doctor will also evaluate whether any of your current medications might interfere with various types of anesthesia.
Minimally invasive and relatively superficial surgical procedures usually only require a local anesthetic. Let’s talk about the types of surgeries that necessitate only local anesthesia, and where you can go if you’re considering having outpatient surgery.
Surgery that Uses Localized Anesthetic
Local anesthetics come in different forms, such as creams, gels, sprays, and injections. Local anesthesia blocks pain, but you will still feel movement and mild pressure.
Surgeries in which local anesthesia may be used include the following:
Skin Biopsy or Breast Biopsy
In a biopsy, your doctor takes a sample of your tissue for examination and evaluation – which is usually done in determining the presence and/or extent of cancer. Skin and breast biopsies are performed with local anesthetics administered with an injection to the biopsy site.
Arthroscopy
If you have severe or chronic joint pain or disability in that joint, your doctor may suggest that you undergo an arthroscopy. An arthroscopic surgery allows your surgeon to not only peek into the joint and determine precisely what is causing your pain, but the doctor can also perform minor repairs as necessary right then and there.
Arthroscopy is performed with a thin tube that has fiber-optic camera functionality at the end, so your surgeon can see real-time video of the inside of your joint during the procedure. The video is transmitted to a monitor right there in the operating room. The surgeon can remove any loose bone fragments, repair injured cartilage, and fix damaged ligaments and tendons during arthroscopy.
Because the required incisions are very tiny, the doctor can usually use local anesthesia to numb the area of your joint, and that may be sufficient. However, longer arthroscopic procedures may still warrant general anesthesia.
Carpal Tunnel Release
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes symptoms such as numbness, pain, and weakness in your hand, wrist, and forearm. Repetitive motion or continued pressure of the wrists and hands can compress the median nerve in the wrist, which causes this syndrome to develop. If carpal tunnel syndrome does not respond to less-invasive measures, surgery may be recommended to open up the tunnel and relieve the pressure on the nerve.
During carpal tunnel release surgery, your surgeon cuts through the transverse carpal ligament in order to create more space for your median nerve in the tunnel. Your surgical team can use a local anesthetic for this procedure, since the surgery only involves your wrists and hands.
Anesthesiologists in Naples, FL
When you are discussing having surgery with your surgeon, talk about your anesthesia options. Here at North Naples Surgery Center, we offer the latest medical technologies and equipment for outpatient surgical procedures. Our healthcare providers are equipped with the knowledge and experience to ensure a safe and pain-free surgery.
To get in touch with us, call (239) 591-2803 today or fill out our online form now. We look forward to serving you!