Surgical Consent
As with any major surgery , there are risks with knee replacement surgery . You will be asked to sign a surgical consent form before your surgery . This form gives consent to the surgeon to perform your surgery . Before signing the consent form , make sure to ask any questions you may have so that you understand your surgery and its risks and benefits . It is important that you fully understand the information and are an active partner in your care .
Anesthesia
Anesthesia is medication that is used to control pain and make you comfortable during surgery . An anesthesiologist is a doctor specially trained to give anesthesia and monitor you during the procedure . Your anesthesiologist will meet with you before surgery to discuss your anesthesia options .
The type of anesthesia you receive will depend on the kind of surgery you are having and other factors , including your medical history . There are various types of anesthesia that may be used alone or together . They include :
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is medicine that puts patients in a sleep-like state so they do not feel pain or remember the surgery . A breathing tube may be placed to support your breathing during general anesthesia . During the surgery , your heart rate , blood pressure , breathing and other vital signs will be carefully monitored .
Regional Anesthesia
Regional anesthesia involves the use of anesthetics and / or pain medication to block the feeling in a certain region of the body , such as the lower body ( called a spinal block ) or just a single leg . Intravenous ( IV ) sedation may be given with regional anesthesia .
Advantages of regional anesthesia include :
� It provides a high level of anesthesia to a region while having little effect on other areas such as the heart , lungs , and brain .
� It may decrease the amount of pain medication needed after surgery .
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