Annually, over 40 million medical procedures require anesthesia in the United States. Anesthesia is essential during painful procedures to keep patients comfortable and calm throughout. While anesthesia is crucial for pain management, it can pose serious risks if it is not monitored.
What Is Anesthesia?
Anesthesia involves administering drugs to keep patients calm and pain-free during procedures. This breakthrough has made many complex surgeries possible by effectively blocking pain.
Before anesthesia was created, surgeries would be performed with little or no pain relief. Doctors would give patients alcohol or herbal remedies, which gave minimal relief in comparison to modern anesthesia.
Anesthesia is highly researched, so it is not necessarily dangerous for most people. But, like any drug, it can cause serious complications if misused.
The 4 Types of Anesthesia
Different types of anesthesia can be administered depending on the procedure. The main types of anesthesia are local, sedation, general, and regional.
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia is typically used for minor procedures to numb a specific part of the body. It is usually administered by injection into the tissue or nerve. But, it can also be administered by topical creams or sprays.
Common procedures that use local anesthesia include:
- Biopsies
- Mole removal
- Stitches
- Cataract surgery
In most cases, the patient is still conscious and aware the whole time, but they should not feel any pain. However, if the patient is extremely anxious, they may be minimally sedated which will keep them calm and relaxed.
Risks
Local anesthesia generally carries fewer risks than general anesthesia, but complications can still occur if the doctor makes errors.
- Failure to monitor patient reactions. During any procedure, medical providers should closely monitor their patients to ensure safety. This should always be the top priority. However, inadequate monitoring can lead to serious consequences like allergic reactions, seizures, cardiac arrest, and difficulty breathing.
- Misadministration of local anesthesia. Local anesthesia works by blocking pain signals from reaching the brain. However, if anesthesia is mistakenly injected incorrectly, it can cause systemic toxicity.
- Failure to recognize local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST). LAST is a serious condition that occurs if anesthesia is injected into a blood vessel. If it is not recognized quickly, then seizures, cardiac arrest, or a coma can occur.
Conscious Sedation
Conscious sedation, otherwise known as twilight sedation, uses a mix of local anesthesia and sedatives. These medications are administered through an IV. During conscious sedation, the patient is moderately sedated. Meaning they are conscious, but feel relaxed and may even fall asleep.
Conscious sedation is used for procedures like:
- Minor dental surgeries
- Some plastic surgeries
- Colonoscopy
- Bronchoscopy
- Minor skin surgery
Risks
- Too much anesthesia is given without an anesthesiologist. When patients are put into a twilight, an anesthesiologist is not required to be there due to the low levels of anesthesia being used. So, this can lead to underqualified medical providers administering the anesthesia. For this reason, patients can be given too much anesthesia through the IV, which causes breathing issues and low heart rate.
- Failure to monitor heart rate. During sedation, some patients’ heart rates slow. This doesn’t happen to everyone, but medical providers should monitor their patients in case this does arise. A low heart rate can cause a lack of oxygen to the major organs and cardiac arrest.
Regional Anesthesia
Regional anesthesia numbs a large part of the body, usually from the waist down. But, it can also numb other areas like arms, chests, and abdomens. Patients can either be awake or sedated during this type of anesthesia
There are 2 main types of regional anesthesia, which include epidural and spinal.
Epidural involves injecting anesthetics into the spinal nerves, otherwise known as the epidural space. During most epidural procedures, a catheter is inserted into a small incision so that the patient can be pain-free for a longer time. In most cases, it is used during childbirth or c-sections.
Spinal anesthesia is injected into the fluid around the spinal cord. It is commonly used during leg surgery, knee surgery, hip replacement, lower stomach procedures, and pelvic procedures.
Risks
Regional anesthesia carries more neurological risks than the other types of anesthesia since it is injected into the spinal nerves or spinal fluid.
- Incorrect needle placement. Needles need to be placed in the correct spot depending on what type of anesthesia is needed. If the anesthesia is placed in the incorrect spot, then spinal cord damage can occur. Spinal cord damage can cause permanent paralysis, based on where it is injected.
- Infection risks. Infections can manifest in and around the spinal cord after regional anesthesia. These can be extremely dangerous if they are not diagnosed and treated quickly. Infections from spinal anesthesia include spinal epidural abscess, arachnoiditis, and meningitis. All of which can either cause a permanent disability or death.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is used during longer, more invasive procedures. It is used when it is safer for the patient to be unconscious during the procedure. This is especially important when patients need to stay still throughout the procedure.
This can be administered through an IV, inhaled through a mask, or injected into a vein.
General anesthesia can cause patients to stop breathing, or breathe slower since they are unconscious. Typically, patients are put on a ventilator, so the machine can breathe for them. This essentially puts patients’ lives in the hands of their doctors.
Procedures that use general anesthesia include:
- Heart surgery
- Organ transplant
- Hip replacement
- Cancer removal surgery
Risks
General anesthesia carries more risks than the other types of anesthesia. This makes it crucial for doctors to properly monitor their patients while they are under general anesthesia.
The most common risks during general anesthesia include:
- Overdose. Like any medication, anesthetics can lead to an overdose if too much is administered. This can cause a dangerously low heart rate, breathing problems, or even a coma.
- Anesthesia awareness. If too little anesthesia is given, patients may be aware of what’s going on, and in rare cases, they can feel pain. However, since patients are given medicine to paralyze their bodies, they are unable to communicate distress. This can cause extreme mental health issues like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression
- Failure to properly intubate. General anesthesia can cause patients to stop breathing on their own. If medical providers fail to intubate a patient quickly, then it can cause severe brain injuries or death.
- Failure to monitor vital signs. While a patient is under anesthesia their vital signs need to be closely monitored to ensure that they are ok during surgery. Doctors should closely watch their heart rate and blood pressure. If their vital signs change drastically, and it is not recognized then serious consequences like cardiac arrest, a coma, or brain injuries can occur.
- Failure to administer oxygen. When patients are under anesthesia they may not be able to breathe or will breathe at a slower rate. So, doctors should monitor their patients to ensure that they are receiving enough oxygen. Patients who are not monitored properly and are not receiving enough oxygen may fall into a coma or suffer severe brain damage.
Can You Sue for Anesthesia Errors?
Yes, you may be able to sue if anesthesia errors caused severe injuries or death. To file a medical malpractice claim, you need to be able to prove that:
- The anesthesiologist/ medical provider had the duty to care for you or your loved one.
- The anesthesiologist/ medical provider breached the standard of care.
- The breach causes severe injuries.
After anesthesia errors, it is crucial to contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney. The attorneys will be able to take a look at the medical records to determine who was at fault for the injuries.
How We Can Help
If you or a loved one suffered an anesthesia error that led to severe injuries, our experienced attorneys can help. Contact our Cleveland medical malpractice attorneys today for a free initial consultation by calling (440) 333-3800, or by filling out our contact form. Our dedicated team can guide you through the process and give you support along the way.