Anesthesia, in the hands of qualified professionals like Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, is a safe and effective means of alleviating pain during nearly every type of medical procedure. Anesthesia care is not confined to surgery alone. The process also refers to activities that take place both before and after an anesthetic is given. CRNAs are advanced practice nurses with specialized graduate-level education in anesthesiology. For more than 100 years, nurse anesthetists have been administering anesthesia in all types of surgical cases, using all anesthetic techniques and practicing in every setting in which anesthesia is administered.
General anesthesia produces a loss of sensation throughout the entire body.
Regional anesthesia produces a loss of sensation to a specific region of the body. Local anesthesia produces a loss of sensation to a small specific area of the body. A preoperative interview with your anesthesia professional will determine which anesthetic is best for you.