Anesthesia

If you are having surgery, your doctor will give you a drug called an anesthetic. Anesthetics reduce or prevent pain. There are four main types.

Local: numbs one small area of the body. You stay awake and alert.
Conscious or intravenous (IV) sedation: uses a mild sedative to relax you and pain medicine to relieve pain. You stay awake but may not remember the procedure afterwards.
Regional anesthesia: blocks pain in an area of the body, such an arm or leg. Epidural anesthesia, which is sometimes used during childbirth, is a type of regional anesthesia.
General anesthesia: affects your whole body. You go to sleep and feel nothing. You have no memory of the procedure afterwards.

The type of anesthesia your doctor chooses depends on many factors. These include the procedure you are having and your current health.

Anesthesia on Wikipedia

'''Anesthesia''' (American English), also '''anaesthesia''' (British English), is the process of blocking the perception of pain and other sensations. This allows patients to undergo surgery and other procedures without the distress and pain they would otherwise experience. There are several forms of anesthesia: * general anesthesia — with reversible loss of consciousness * local anesthesia — with reversible loss of sensation in a (small) part of the body by localized administration of anesthetic drugs at the affected site. * regional anesthesia — with reversible loss of sensation and possibly movement in a region of the body by selective blockade of sections of the spinal cord or nerve supplying the region. Medical doctor specialising in the administration of anesthetics are known as anesthesiologists (American English) or anaesthetists (British English). Nurse specialising in the administration of anesthetics are known as nurse anesthetists (American English), who typically have gone to graduate school after nursing school, or have at least obtained certification as a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist). "Anesthetist", despite typically referring to nurses, can refer to a physician or a nurse. Anesthesiologist Assistants are another group of health care providers who administer anesthetics. They pursue a graduate degree in anesthesia from an accredited program and are supervised directly by an anesthesiologist.

History

Non-pharmacological methods

Hypnotism and acupuncture have a long history of use as anaesthetic techniques.

Herbal derivatives

The first herbalism anaesthesia was administered in prehistory. Opium and hemp were two of the most important herbs used. They ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

Ancient Arts of Anesthesia Are Unlocked - Report that excavation of the medieval Soutra Hospital near Edinburgh showed that some 200 herbs and spices were used as medicines, reproduced in Today's Healthy News.

Pneucleus Technologies LLC - Manufacturer of low-cost mass flow controllers specifically designed for applications in gas detection, calibration, monitoring, chromatography and analysis. Other applications include vacuum coating, fiber optics, and anesthesia delivery.

South Oakland Physician Services, Inc. - Offers billing services for anesthesia and pain management.

ProClaims Medical Management Inc. - Provides medical billing and claims processing services for the anesthesia market.

Independent Billing Agency, Inc. - A full service medical billing company providing coding and billing services for anesthesia providers.

Anesthesia Services Ltd - An anesthesia medical billing service.

Healthcare Business Services Groups, Inc - Anesthesia, pain management and surgery center billing agency.

Billworx Medical Billing Systems - Offers medical billing software for electronic claim filing and supports billing dental, DME, and anesthesia claims.