anesthesia
Anesthesia is a treatment that stops pain, awareness, or memory during a medical procedure.
There are different types of anesthesia:
- General anesthesia is a combination of medicines that puts you to sleep before a surgery or tests. It causes complete loss of consciousness.
- Conscious sedation is a type of anesthesia that usually wears off quickly and is used for short, uncomplicated procedures. You may stay awake, but may not be able to speak and will likely feel drowsy and not remember much afterward.
- A local or regional anesthetic (nerve block) numbs a small area or a larger part of your body and is usually given as a shot.