What are the possible after-effects of a short anaesthetic?
The anaesthetics can cause nausea and vomiting after the short anaesthetic. However, this can be treated well with medication and is therefore of long duration. Pain in the area of the venous access or during ventilation with a laryngeal mask in the throat can last for several days. In some cases, the short anaesthesia can also lead to reduced performance for a few days.
What are the alternatives to short anaesthesia?
For procedures such as gastroscopy or colonoscopy, short anaesthesia is often not necessary. Alternatively, sedatives can be taken beforehand or a sedation can be carried out. The sedatives are given as tablets.
During the procedure you are fully conscious, but the drugs help to relieve anxiety. Additionally, local anesthetics can be used to numb the area under examination so that no pain is felt. During sedation, a short-acting sleep medication is administered through the vein.
The patient falls into a twilight sleep, which lasts only for a short time and thus does not notice much of the examination. The advantage is that ventilation is not necessary. Nevertheless, no driving or operating machines is allowed for the rest of the day.
Another alternative to short anaesthesia is general anaesthesia. However, before general anesthesia is performed, the benefits must be weighed against the risks.General anesthesia is much more complex than short anesthesia and is associated with greater risks. In addition, with general anesthesia, the airway must usually be secured with a breathing tube.
