General Anesthesia

General anesthesia makes you both unconscious and unable to feel pain during medical procedures. General anesthesia is commonly produced by a combination of intravenous drugs and inhaled gasses (anesthetics).

An anesthesiologist is a specially trained doctor who specializes in all types of anesthesia, including general anesthesia. After you’re asleep (unconscious), your body’s vital functions are monitored and your breathing is assisted and controlled.

Usually with Trinity Medical, an anesthesiologist (an MD) will directly perform your anesthesia, and will be with you throughout the entire procedure. Occasionally, one of our anesthesiologists will work in conjunction with a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) throughout your procedure.

Deep Sedation

Sometimes referred to as “conscious sedation” or “twilight anesthesia,” monitored anesthesia care encompasses the use of intravenous medications to produce varying levels of sedation during surgical procedures.

With deep sedation, our patients will sleep throughout the procedure and wake up in the recovery area.
Deep sedation is not considered true general anesthesia. An anesthesia provider will be with you at all times to monitor your well-being and adjust the level of sedation as needed. In addition to the sedation you will receive, your surgeon may use local anesthetics in the body region where you are being operated upon.

The advantage of this type of anesthesia, as opposed to general anesthesia, is that there are typically fewer side-effects such as nausea, sore throat, and memory impairment, as well as the ability to avoid the use of a breathing tube.

Light Sedation

Sometimes referred to as “conscious sedation” or “twilight anesthesia,” monitored anesthesia care encompasses the use of intravenous medications to produce varying levels of sedation during surgical procedures.

LIght sedation provides some level of relaxation, but patients may be aware for part of the procedure. If light sedation is possible for your procedure, the anesthesiologist will discuss your sedation level preference with you.

Light sedation is not considered true general anesthesia. An anesthesia provider will be with you at all times to monitor your well-being, and adjust the level of sedation as needed. In addition to the sedation you will receive, your surgeon may use local anesthetics in the body region where you are being operated upon.

The advantage of this type of anesthesia, as opposed to general anesthesia, is that there are typically fewer side-effects such as nausea, sore throat, and memory impairment, as well as the ability to avoid the use of a breathing tube.

Nerve Block

Regional anesthesia involves injecting numbing medicine around the peripheral nerves that innervate certain portions of your body. We perform these procedures so you will not feel pain during or after your procedure. Depending on the specific numbing medicine (local anesthetic) we use, the “nerve block” can last even longer, ranging from hours to days.
There are many advantages to regional anesthesia. Because you have less pain, you need less pain medicines by mouth or IV, even though you will still have the same medicine prescriptions available to you. In addition, patients who receive regional anesthesia have less nausea, higher satisfaction scores, and recover more quickly after surgery.
Our doctors are fellowship-trained and specialize in performing nerve blocks for patients undergoing surgery and for post-operative pain.