General anesthesia is used primarily for major operations, and the patient is completely asleep.
Gas and injected drugs, including muscle relaxants, are usually administered, and a breathing tube is usually placed. With regional anesthesia , only part of the body is numb. It is common to give some sedation also, so patients do not remember being awake. Spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia are common types of regional anesthesia and anesthetize the lower part of the body only. Regional anesthesia is useful when surgery is limited.