What type of injection is local anesthesia

If you think of the brain as a central computer that controls all the functions of your body, then the nervous system is like a network that relays messages back and forth from it to different parts of the body. It does this via the spinal cord, which runs from the brain down through the backbone and contains threadlike nerves that branch out to every organ and body part.

Often, anesthesiologists may give a person a sedative to help them feel sleepy or relaxed before a procedure. Then, people who are getting general anesthesia may get medication through a breathing mask first and then be given an IV after they're asleep. Many people are afraid of needles and may have a hard time staying still and calm, so doctors may need to help them relax first with this medicine.

The type and amount of anesthesia given to you will be specifically tailored to your needs and will depend on various factors, including:. The anesthesiologist can discuss the options available, and he or she will make the decision based on your individual needs and best interests.

Reviewed by: Judith A. Jones, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Today, many types of surgery can be safely and painlessly performed while you are awake. Local anesthesia, also called local anesthetic, is usually a one-time injection of medicine that numbs a small area of the body. It is used for procedures such as performing a skin biopsy or breast biopsy, repairing a broken bone, or stitching a deep cut.

Local anesthetics have made it possible to perform many surgical procedures quickly, with less preparation and a shorter recovery time. General anesthesia and anesthesia that sedates you can cause side effects such as nausea, and a physician anesthesiologist must monitor you if you are administered these types of anesthesia — during the procedure and for a time afterward.

However, with local anesthesia, side effects and complications are rare and usually minor. However, when a large area needs to be numbed, or if a local anesthetic injection will not go deep enough, regional anesthetics may be used.

Regional anesthesia is used to numb only the part of the body undergoing the procedure. Usually, an injection of local anesthetic is given in the area of nerves that provide feeling to that part of the body. There are several forms of regional anesthetics, 2 of which are described below:. Spinal anesthetic. A spinal anesthetic is used for lower belly, pelvic, rectal, or leg surgery. This type of anesthetic involves injecting a single dose of the anesthetic into the subarachnoid space.

This space surrounds the spinal cord. The injection is made into the lower back, below the end of the spinal cord. It causes numbness in the lower body. Rarely, continuous spinal anesthesia may be used for a prolonged procedure. A thin catheter hollow tube is left in place in the subarachnoid space for additional injections of the anesthetic agent.

This ensures numbness during the length of the procedure. Epidural anesthetic.