The Evolution of Pain Relief (Anesthesia) in Surgery

I wanted to you about the most painful experience you ever had but if I do, I am certain that some of you would mention that heartbreak you experienced when you were in high school on Prom Night, so I decided to skip that question. But if we are to talk about medical or health pain, people would talk about the chest pain that accompanied the heart attack they experienced, or the pain from the attack a person got from the kidney stone they were diagnosed with, some can say the toothache they battled with from child hood, or the dislocation or fraction pain which was as a result of an accident, and so on.

In mention this experience, non of them can be compared to the experience that people felt in their homes when they were going to undergo a surgical procedure in the 1800s where the pain medication was only alcohol. During this time, the patients would be awake all through the procedures and would feel the pain all through the period till it heals up if they do not die from Sepsis.

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With innovations, we have been able to come a long way with improvements when it comes to pain medications for such purposes, but then understanding how they work fully is still something we are still learning everyday. In our recent times, one of the most remarkable invention when it comes to surgery is Anesthesia, because patients now do not need to worry about pain when we go in for a surgery.

It isn't like we just bumped into one wonder breakthrough with it, it took several changes in pain relief substances used over the years. In 2100BC, substances likethat had Opium in them were used, then Mandrake was used by the Greeks for pain. In different parts of the world, different substances were used including Cannabis, Coca leaves, Acupuncture and so on. While these things didn't give positive results most times, it wasn't a problem because surgery itself wasn't always guaranteed that the patient wouldn't come down with an infection.

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In 1846, Dr William Morton a dentist started to use Ether, after trying it out on himself and he realized that he was knocked out for a very long time, and didn't recollect what happened to him throughout the period when he was away. After trying it on himself, he decided to try it on Eben Frost who didn't recollect anything that happened through out the period of the procedure. He was the father of Modern Anesthesia and it wasn't like he knew what he was doing, he just decided to give it a try because he heard that students were using it to get fizzy and high.

If you go to a standard hospital, they should have 4 different types of anesthesia which are General, Local, Regional, and Procedural anesthesia. With procedural anesthesia, also known as Twilight anesthesia or conscious sedation is when drugs are given to the patient to keep them awake and calm with no pain. This is commonly used at the dental hospital or during brain surgery, to confirm the no part of the brain has been tampered with. These anesthesia doesn't keep the patient completely awake as the patient is still groggy.

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Local anesthesia on the other hand is localized as the name implies. It is used to numb pain in the areas around the wound or where the procedure is being done without affecting other parts of the body. This anesthesia is also used by dentist especially to perform root canal procedures. One common local anesthesia is Novocaine and you would find it at the dental clinic. When it comes to widespread pain, Regional Anesthetic should be used. This can numb pain in a wide area of the body and not just in a localized area alone. When there are pain injection going into the spinal fluid, or the epidural space, they are basically central anesthesia.

General anesthesia is the main one you are expecting me to talk about. That one that makes you sleep. Actually, you are not sleeping with general anesthesia, you are immobile, unconscious, and memories are not formed about the procedure. General Anesthesia can be giving intravenously or the common one which is through inhalation. They act on the central nervous system, impacting the entire brain and body. Almost everything shuts down and help is done via intubation or mask wearing to prevent breathing from being shutdown. During the procedure, it is the job of the anesthesiologist to watch the patient's vitals to be sure that their oxygen levels are normal, and blood pressure remains the same through out.

The history of anesthesia is a testament to human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of better healthcare practices. From enduring excruciating pain in the 1800s to the sophisticated anesthetic techniques of today, we've transformed the surgical landscape, making it more humane and safer for patients worldwide.

^Reference

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