Anesthesia was first performed in 1846. Today, more than 27 million anesthetics are performed each year, yet many people do not have a good understanding about anesthesia. The Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati Pediatric Anesthesia Department responds to questions frequently asked by parents. General Anesthesia is the condition in which a patient is unconscious and cannot feel pain or any other sensation.
General anesthesia is used for most surgeries, and someone skilled at anesthesia is always present.
Conscious Sedation is a condition in which the patient is awake, yet quite sleepy. This condition is used for many procedures done outside the operating room. A person from the Anesthesia Department may or may not be present. Local Anesthesia usually involves the injection of a medication under the skin, so the area becomes numb. This is often combined with conscious sedation for minor procedures.