Anaesthesia techniques
General anaesthesia uses specifically administered medication to achieve a temporary state of unconsciousness and freedom from pain. The selection, dosage and ongoing administration of these anaesthetics enable a timely and pleasant awakening. Phases of tiredness or drowsiness after anaesthesia can occur if strong painkillers are repeatedly administered.
Further techniques
In regional anaesthesia, targeted injections of local anaesthetics are used to make areas of the body insensitive to pain. In many cases, modern ultrasound probes can be used to visualise the course of the nerves and better control the administration of the medication. Regional anaesthesia can be induced in the arm and leg area by blocking one or more nerves simultaneously.
The techniques close to the spinal cord (spinal/peridural anaesthesia) produce freedom from pain in the chest, abdomen or leg area. With the insertion of thin catheters, the duration of anaesthesia can be extended as required and/or used for optimal post-operative pain management. Patients who are operated on under regional anaesthesia are free to stay awake, listen to music or be put to sleep with medication.
Combined anaesthesia is the combination of regional and general anaesthesia. It is routinely used for major abdominal and thoracic surgery and leads to a faster post-operative recovery.