How Anesthesia Works, and Why It’s So Complicated

There’s a lot more to “going under” than just counting down from ten and then waking up when the surgery is over, although it’s great we can do that. Here’s how anesthesia affects you, what makes it risky enough for your doctor to warn you about it before surgery

The video above goes into the details, but if you can’t watch, here are the basics. There are three main types of anesthesia: regional, inhalational, and intravenous. Regional anesthesia prevents electrical pain signals from going from one part of your body to your brain. Inhalational anesthesia affects your whole nervous system, including your brain and is often used together with intravenous anesthesia to put you under and keep you unconscious during major surgery.

Anesthesia affects your nervous system and brain, but also other vital organs like your heart, lungs, and liver, which is why it is so important the anesthesiologist mixes the right balance for you. They also monitor your vital signs during surgery so they can adjust the anesthesia as needed. Check out the video above for a little more history here, what some of the common drugs used are and where they came from, and more.

How Does Anesthesia Work? | Ted-Ed (YouTube)