The Mesothelioma SOS Glossary - Anesthetic

Anesthetic is a medically used substance that causes the loss of consciousness and feeling. There are several different forms of anesthesia, including general, local, and regional anesthesia. General anesthesia causes the complete loss of consciousness and memory of what occurs while under the anesthesia. Local anesthesia causes the loss of sensation in one region of the body with the administration of an anesthetic drug at the affected site. The patient remains conscious throughout the entire procedure, yet the patient will not feel any pain in the site under anesthesia. Regional anesthesia is similar to local anesthesia in that the patient will never lose consciousness. However, regional anesthesia involves the blockage of nerves or the spinal cord to cause the loss of sensation in various regions of the body, rather than the administration of anesthetic drugs. The choice of anesthetic method can be very complex, as patients will have to take into account both surgical factors and the advice of doctors and surgeons. In many patients, regional anesthesia may be safer than local anesthesia because no toxins are being used. While there is little scientific evidence to support this idea, local anesthetic has many unfavorable side effects like confusion, dizziness, and nausea, which are not typically associated with regional anesthesia, typically making regional anesthesia a less dangerous choice.