Anaesthetics

Minimising the discomfort of painful procedures

MINIMISING THE DISCOMFORT OF PAINFUL PROCEDURES

Anaesthetics, or anaesthesia, helps our surgeons to carry out procedures with minimum discomfort for patients

About anaesthetics

Anaesthetics, also called anaesthesia, is a medical specialty dedicated to the removal of pain and sensation during surgical or invasive procedures. There are different types of anaesthetic and it's suitable for children and adults.

Your anaesthetist and consultant will discuss which one is the most appropriate to your procedure. It's considered to be one of the safest areas of healthcare yet it's important to have a thorough assessment beforehand. General anaesthetic is usually given for major operations. It induces a state of controlled unconsciousness (a bit like being asleep) so you shouldn't feel pain. Local or regional anaesthetics are usually given for minor procedures. They involve injecting anaesthetic to numb the area of the body being operated on. You shouldn't feel pain but you may feel pressure and movement.

Nerve blocks and epidurals are examples of regional anaesthetics.

Our expertise

If you're having general anaesthetic, our consultant anaesthetists and paediatric anaesthetists will assess you beforehand and monitor you throughout.

Need to know

Epidural for pain management

During a caudal epidural, an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as hydrocortisone, is injected round the areas of inflammation in the spinal canal. This injection is used when nerves in the lower back are inflamed due to irritation from either spinal stenosis (a degenerative narrowing of the spinal...

Labour pain relief epidural

An epidural is commonly used to give pain relief during childbirth. It is a type of local anaesthetic which is injected into your spine to numb the nerves in your womb and cervix that send pain signals to your brain. It can help during a long, complicated or especially painful labour.