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.
It is also commonly used for prostate surgery. This anesthesia uses only a few drugs and is not as complicated as general anesthesia. MAC means that the surgeon injects local anesthesia at the site of surgery while an anesthesiologist gives sedation intravenously and ensures patient safety and comfort during the surgery. Patient safety during anesthesia depends on the anesthesiologist knowing the patient's history and selecting an appropriate anesthesia plan, taking into account all of the patient's disorders, as well as the planned surgery. It is vital that polio survivors speak with the anesthesiologist ahead of time and during the pre-surgery interview inform the anesthesiologist of their special conditions such as ventilator use, sleep apnea, body positioning problems, etc.