Board-certified anesthesiologist Dr. Richard Rust provides anesthetic services to patients during surgery through a private medical group in Indianapolis. In his day-to-day practice, Dr. Richard Rust administers both regional and general anesthetics to ensure his Indianapolis patients remain pain-free or unconscious for the length of surgical procedures.
When a physician administers a regional anesthetic, he or she injects drugs directly into a specific set of nerves. The drugs block pain signals that the nerves would usually send, allowing patients to remain relatively comfortable during operations. Sometimes, physicians inject regional anesthetics into major nerve systems in the spinal canal, resulting in loss of feeling for whole extremities.
Because of its targeted nature, regional anesthesia allows patients to stay awake during procedures. General anesthesia, on the other hand, renders patients unconscious to varying degrees. When a patient is unconscious or less conscious, he or she is therefore less aware or totally unaware of pain and discomfort. While patients are under general anesthesia, doctors closely monitor health metrics ranging from oxygen level to heart rate.
When a physician administers a regional anesthetic, he or she injects drugs directly into a specific set of nerves. The drugs block pain signals that the nerves would usually send, allowing patients to remain relatively comfortable during operations. Sometimes, physicians inject regional anesthetics into major nerve systems in the spinal canal, resulting in loss of feeling for whole extremities.
Because of its targeted nature, regional anesthesia allows patients to stay awake during procedures. General anesthesia, on the other hand, renders patients unconscious to varying degrees. When a patient is unconscious or less conscious, he or she is therefore less aware or totally unaware of pain and discomfort. While patients are under general anesthesia, doctors closely monitor health metrics ranging from oxygen level to heart rate.