Capitol Anesthesiology Association - Services

Local Anesthetic Medicines

Risks of Local Anesthetic Medicines

Local anesthesia also involves the injection of local anesthetic agents, but in this case smaller amounts are given to produce numbness only in the area where they are injected. Regional anesthesia, by contrast, anesthetizes large areas of the body distant to the site of injection. Typically local anesthesia injection is performed by the surgeon for operations involving relatively small parts of the body. Breast biopsies, cataract operations, and hernia repairs are common examples of operations that can often be successfully accomplished with local anesthesia. Surgeons often request IV sedation and monitoring from anesthesia providers during operations under local. In addition to these services, immediate access to general anesthesia is assured should it become necessary during the operation.

It should be noted that not every operation is feasible under local anesthesia. This is because local anesthetic drugs, like most drugs, have limitations with respect to their safe usage. Each drug has recommended a maximum dosage, and if adequate numbness cannot be achieved within these guidelines then an alternative anesthesia plan such as general or regional anesthesia should be considered.