Absence of normal sensations, especially sensitivity to pain, induced by an anesthetic drug. It can be administered topically, locally, regionally, or systemically, and is classified according to the anesthetic agent used and procedure used to administer it. There are different types:
Epidural anesthesia: procedure by which regional anesthesia is achieved in the pelvic, abdominal, genital, or lower limb regions by injecting a local anesthetic agent in the epidural space of the spine. For your procedure, you must lie on your side in fetal position and remain still during puncture and administration of the anesthetic drug.
General anesthesia: Lack of sensation and consciousness caused by administration of drugs, mainly by the inhaled or intravenous route. This type of anesthesia is used in many surgeries and it is essential to control the patient's vital signs by a monitor, requiring also insertion of an endotracheal tube connected to a respirator, thus allowing control of the patient's respiratory rate. After awakening, once the procedure has ended, the tube is removed.
Local anesthesia: administration of a local anesthetic in a small area of the body, it can be applied topically on skin or injected through a needle. It involves hardly no risk for the patient, and is used in placement of the central venous catheters such as, for example, the port-a-cath.