General Anesthesia

While there are many other types and levels of anesthesia (medication that prevents you from experiencing pain during surgery), general anesthesia is most typically used for major procedures like knee and hip replacements, heart surgeries, and a variety of cancer-related surgical procedures. Many of these operations are life-saving or life-changing, and they would be impossible to perform without general anesthesia. A physician anesthesiologist administers general anesthesia to the patient through a mask or an IV put in the vein. You will be unconscious while the anesthesia is operating, and many of your body's functions will slow down or require assistance to function properly. To assist you breathe, a tube may be inserted into your throat. The physician anesthesiologist will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and other vital signs during surgery or the operation to ensure that they are normal and constant while you are asleep and pain-free.