Anaesthesia Essay

Introduction : What is ‘anaesthesia’?
The word ‘anaesthesia’ means ‘loss of sensation’. Administration of anaesthesia into an individual will renders their feeling of pain or any other sensations like touch or heat. There are three major types of anaesthesia, which are local, regional and general anaesthesia in which each single type has their own mode of administration of anaesthetic substance. One must remember that not all anaesthesia will cause unconsciousness.
Back in 1897, where anaesthesia has not been discovered in this world, one elderly Boston physician could only compare it to Spanish Inquisition. He recalled “yells and screams, most horrible in my memory now, after an interval of so many years.”[1] This gives us a vague picture about medicine world way before the introduction of anaesthesia. There is also an interesting British Broadcasting Coporation (BBC) Documentary entitled “SCREAM : The History Of Anaesthesia” which provides a very good insight about the discovery of anaesthesia.
Prior to 1846, elective surgery was really uncommon. According to annual reports by Massachusetts General Hospital, from 1821 to 1846, a total of only 333 surgeries were performed, representing barely more than one case per month.[1] Surgery was the last resort chosen by most of people as it was usually resulted in horrifying memories. During that time, only surface surgery like removing fungating cancer, amputation and removal of bladder stones were the only area accessible for surgery.[2] Access to internal organ in the skull, chest and abdomen seemed to be impossible and speed was the only determinant of a successful surgeon.[2]
Although there were lots of interventions to administer anaesthetic agents in the decade 1835-1845, they we...

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...th. Hence, any patient whom suspected of recall following anaesthesia should be offered psychiatric counselling.[7] It is very challenging for anaesthetic to keep the patient asleep so that they will not have to experience any traumatic memory of surgery.
Conclusion
There are actually lots of other complication associated with anaesthesia after surgery. However, these above points and figures are the most common or perhaps the facts that most of the patients feared. In spite of all these problems, the discovery of anaesthesia itself has brought a major transition in modern medicine. Since most of these complications do not overweight the benefits of anaesthesia itself, it is still being accepted by people around the world. We, as new generation, will try to unleash a lot more anaesthetic agents or ways to minimise the complications. Together we can change the world!