Alternatives to general anesthesia
There are many ways to eliminate the sensation of pain during an operation.One possibility is local anesthesia, in which an anesthetic, such as lidocaine, is injected directly into the area of the procedure. However, this can only be used for minor procedures, such as suturing a laceration. The next option is the conduction anaesthesia, in which the responsible nerve is anaesthetised well above the affected area.
This method is used especially for operations on the hands and feet. A typical anaesthetic for a caesarean section is spinal anaesthesia. Here, the anaesthetic is injected directly into the spinal cord, thus anaesthetising the entire body area under the jurisdiction of this spinal cord site.
In many cases, however, general anesthesia is still the only feasible option. Especially major operations and emergency operations make general anesthesia irreplaceable. Are you interested in alternatives to general anesthesia?
Vallnarcosis at the dentist
Under certain circumstances, it can be useful in dental treatments to perform the planned procedure under general anesthesia. Especially patients who get very anxious during visits to the dentist can be helped with a general anesthesia during the treatment. However, even long operations or treatments that are difficult to perform with local anesthesia are usually performed under general anesthesia.
As with any general anesthesia, the goal of general anesthesia at the dentist is to relieve the patient of consciousness and pain and to relax the muscles. The anaesthetic drugs can be administered either with gases through the lungs or as a liquid medication through the veins. A combination of both methods is also possible.
The method chosen depends on the patient’s preferences, age and individual treatment. During anesthesia, breathing air is introduced into the lungs via a so-called tube to supply the patient with oxygen during the treatment period. Depending on the duration of treatment, the depth of the anesthesia can be adjusted so that nowadays even relatively short operations can be performed under general anesthesia.
After the operation, an awake state of consciousness is achieved promptly and the breathing tube is removed. The side effects of general anesthesia are much less severe today than they used to be. However, nausea, irritated throat and irritated vocal cords can still occur after the anaesthesia. Furthermore, it should be noted that after general anesthesia, the operation of heavy equipment, and thus driving a car, is not allowed.
