The word anaesthesia means ‘loss of sensation’. An anaesthetic allows you to have your operation without feeling pain or unpleasant sensations.
There are several different types of anaesthetic. Your anaesthetist will decide with you which anaesthetic would be best for you. Not all types of anaesthesia are appropriate for all types of operations.
If there is a choice of anaesthetic, the decision on which to use will depend on:
- the operation you are having and any medical problems
- your particular risks
- your preferences and the reasons for them
- the recommendation and particular skills of the anaesthetist
- the equipment, staff and resources at the hospital
Sometimes there is a choice about which kind of anaesthetic and pain relief is best for you. Having talked about the benefits, risks and your preferences, you and your anaesthetist can decide together which anaesthetic you will have. Nothing will happen to you until you understand and agree with what has been planned. You can refuse the treatment, or ask for more information or more time to decide.
The links on the left side of the page or those below will provide you with more information about the different types of anaesthetic.
General anaesthesia
Sedation
Spinal anaesthesia
Epidural anaesthesia
Nerve blocks
PLEASE NOTE
This website includes content taken from the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ (RCoA) leaflets ‘Fitter, Better, Sooner (2018)’, ‘You and your anaesthetic (2020)’, ‘Anaesthesia explained (2015)’, and ‘Common events and risks in anaesthesia(2019)’. However, The RCoA has not reviewed the website as a whole. Some of the RCoA infographics used on the website have been adapted for web viewing.
