What are the main types of anesthesia?

There are four main types of anesthesia: general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, sedation, and local anesthesia. Some types can be used together. The type you receive depends on your procedure, your health, and your preferences.

General anesthesia

General anesthesia uses medicine to make you unconscious. You are not aware of the procedure, and you do not feel pain. The medicine is given through a mask over your nose and mouth or through an IV (a thin tube placed in a vein, usually in your arm). General anesthesia slows some of your body’s functions, so you may need a breathing tube during the procedure.

Regional anesthesia

Regional anesthesia numbs a large part of the body, such as an arm, a leg, or everything below the waist. Numbing medicine is placed near the nerves to that area. Common types include:

• Spinal: a shot of numbing medicine in the lower back that numbs the lower body. It is often used for C-sections and for hip or knee replacements.
• Epidural: numbing medicine given through a small, thin tube placed in the back. It is the most common type of pain relief used during labor.
• Nerve block: a shot of numbing medicine near the nerves to one area, such as an arm or a leg. It can help with pain after surgery, such as shoulder, knee, or ankle surgery. The pain relief can last for hours.

You may stay awake during regional anesthesia. It can also be used with sedation or general anesthesia.

Sedation

Sedation uses medicine, usually given through an IV, to help you relax and feel comfortable. Sedation can be light, where you feel drowsy but can still talk. It can also be deep, where you are in a sleep-like state. You may or may not remember parts of the procedure. How deep the sedation is can change during a procedure, so you are watched closely the whole time.

You may hear the term “monitored anesthesia care,” or MAC. This means your anesthesia care team looks after you before, during, and after your procedure and gives you sedation or other medicine as needed.

Local anesthesia

Local anesthesia numbs only a small area, such as the skin for stitches or for removing a mole. It is usually a single shot. When local anesthesia is used by itself, you stay awake. It can also be used with sedation.

How is the choice made?

Your Anesthesiologist will talk with you about the benefits and risks of each option. Often, more than one choice is reasonable. The plan can change during the procedure if your needs change. To learn who may be on your anesthesia care team, see Who will provide my anesthesia? To learn how you are watched during anesthesia, see How am I monitored during anesthesia?

Follow your instructions about eating, drinking, and medicines, even if you do not expect general anesthesia. Your plan may need to change. To learn more, see How should I prepare for anesthesia?

Questions to ask

• Will I be awake during the procedure, and will I remember anything?
• Could a nerve block help with my procedure or with pain afterward?

For more questions, see What questions should I ask before anesthesia?

Outside resources

• Made for This Moment — Anesthesia 101
• APSF — Patient Guide to Anesthesia & Surgery