Printable Version Monitored Anesthesia Care A. Nguyen, M.D. Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology. University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center Citation Nguyen, A. Monitored Anesthesia Care . General anesthesia and MAC are distinguished from local and regional anesthesia by the use of sedatives and other agents, which are introduced mainly intravenously or as inhalants. In contrast, local and regional anesthesias are limited to the use of local anesthetics.
Local anesthesia provides numbness to a small area limited to where local anesthetic is injected.
Regional anesthesia such as epidural, spinal, and other methods provide numbness to much larger areas because of the nerve blocks involved. General anesthesia is a deep state of sleep where the patient loses consciousness and sensation and usually requires assisted ventilation. Like general anesthesia, MAC uses sedatives and other agents, but the dosage is low enough that patients, remain responsive and breathe without assistance. MAC is often used to supplement local and regional anesthesia, particularly during simple procedures and minor surgery. The purpose of a MAC is to provide the patient with anxiety relief, amnesia, pain relief, comfort, and safety during the procedure.