The type of anesthesia is largely determined by the magnitude of the operation. More involved procedures, such as mastectomy and axillary dissection, require a general anesthetic. The goal of the anesthesiologist is to provide the greatest degree of comfort for the patient before and during surgery.
General anesthesia is a means of inducing sleep.
This involves a combination of intravenous medicines and inhaling anesthetic gas. Intravenous medicines are used first, to sedate the patient and induce sleep. This will maintain anesthesia by providing a mixture of oxygen and anesthetic gases directly to the lungs. The tube is inserted into the mouth under direct visualization, using a lighted instrument called a laryngoscope. This procedure, called intubation, is done by the anesthesiologist once sedation and sleep have been induced.