You will meet your anaesthetist or anaesthetic associate (AA) on the admissions unit before your surgery.
An AA is a highly skilled healthcare professional who is not a registered medical doctor but has undergone formal advanced training and is supervised by a consultant anaesthetist.
There will also be an anaesthetic practitioner looking after you during your procedure.
If you only need local anaesthetic, you won’t need an anaesthetist.
The anaesthetist will explain the options for anaesthetic with you and go through the risks and benefits of these.
Types of anaesthetic
Local anaesthetic
Usually performed by the surgeon (no anaesthetist required). An injection is given near to the site of the surgery and only the relevant surgical site is numb.
General anaesthetic
This is essential for some operations. General anaesthesia is a state of controlled unconsciousness. You will not be aware of the procedure and will not feel anything.
Regional anaesthetic
This involves an injection that numbs part of your body but you stay awake. This includes spinal or epidural anaesthetic, as well as nerve blocks to numb your arm or leg. It is sometimes possible to have sedation as well.
Sedation
Medicine is given, usually through a cannula in your vein, that makes you feel relaxed and sleepy, it is often used together with local or regional anaesthesia. You may still be aware of what is going on and afterwards may remember nothing, parts of the procedure, or everything.