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What is the Difference Between Anesthesia and Sedation?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Anesthesia and sedation are related and may both be used during medical procedures, but they are designed for different functions. Anesthesia reduces sensitivity to pain and may make people insensate to pain, depending on the medication being used and the procedure involved. Sedation creates a more relaxed state and may even cause a patient to fall asleep during a procedure. The development of anesthesia and sedation was a major step in medical practice, making it possible to perform surgical procedures, manage pain more effectively, and manage patients who experienced anxiety and stress.

Often, anesthesia and sedation are combined in a procedure. The sedation is used to keep the patient comfortable or to cause the patient to completely fall asleep, while anesthesia prevents the patient from experiencing pain. Pain can become so severe that it may send the patient into shock — an undesirable turn of affairs — and pain can also interfere with a procedure as patients may twitch or cry out in response to the pain. Using anesthesia and sedation for pain management and to keep a patient comfortable will make it easier to focus, and can reduce complications for the patient.

Anesthesia may be given to a patient to prevent movement and pain during a procedure.
Anesthesia may be given to a patient to prevent movement and pain during a procedure.

Anesthesia may be used alone for minor procedures, in the form of a local or regional anesthetic. In this case, pain management is applied to the area of a body where the doctor will be working, like the region of the jaw surrounding a rotten tooth for a dental procedure. The area is probed before the procedure to confirm the patient cannot feel and the pain management will be adjusted as needed during the procedure.

A local or regional anesthetic may be given to a patient during a dental procedure.
A local or regional anesthetic may be given to a patient during a dental procedure.

If a patient is likely to develop anxiety and stress, sedation can be used to put the patient in a more relaxed mood. Many sedatives also contribute to memory loss, blurring memories of the procedure for the patient. Patients on sedatives may feel calmer. Depending on the level of sedation, patients can participate in the procedure and respond, or they may be largely insensate.

Conscious sedation is often preferred over general anesthesia for minor procedures, because it eliminates many of the health risks of being fully anesthetized.
Conscious sedation is often preferred over general anesthesia for minor procedures, because it eliminates many of the health risks of being fully anesthetized.

In general anesthesia, the patient is put to sleep with a combination of drugs designed to induce unconsciousness, prevent the patient from moving, and limit pain. The patient is carefully managed and a ventilator is used to breathe for the patient during the procedure as the patient cannot breathe independently. This high level anesthesia is supervised by an anesthesiologist or trained anesthesia technician.

General anesthesia is used to induce a state of unconsciousness.
General anesthesia is used to induce a state of unconsciousness.

In addition to being used in surgery and procedures, anesthesia and sedation are also useful for management of pain, stress, and tension in patients. Patients may be provided with sedatives to manage conditions like social anxiety disorder, for example, and patients with chronic pain conditions may receive treatments like nerve blocks to prevent transmission of pain signals.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon1000681

I really prefer no sedation. Conversations stay more professional. My first colonoscopy I remember inappropriate conversations even though I was sedated. I also had a mix up where a regular hernia procedure was planned even though I specified laparoscopic. They walked in and showed me an initialed form and I then informed them they weren't my initials. My pubes were shaved but that is invasive and not needed for laparoscopic hernia repair.

I also have woken up during weight loss surgery and when I had my tonsils out. I recently had a colonoscopy without sedation and they used a child sized scope and it was totally bearable. I was also able to drive myself home and go to work afterwards.

It may not be for everyone, but no sedation worked much better for me. It limited the number of people in the room when the procedure was done. Everything was professional. It was educational seeing the screen, and I don't think the pain ever went beyond a 3 on a scale of 1-10.

bluedolphin

Sedation is also used sometimes for people with mental health issues or for people who are experiencing a nervous breakdown as far as I know.

Once I was in the emergency room for a broken leg and someone who was experiencing a major nervous breakdown was brought in. We heard that there was a car accident and she had lost her husband. So she was in shock but acting kind of violently as a result. The doctor had directed for her to be sedated so that she would calm down.

literally45

@ddljohn-- In both cases, sedation would be used. Sedation is used not to numb or prevent pain but rather to relax the patient. So it is used when a patient is anxious about a procedure. This is to prevent any reaction by the patient which may be dangerous and would also affect treatment.

Now some people confuse anesthesia. Like the article has mentioned, there are different types of anesthesia. General anesthesia puts one to sleep and prevents the patient from feeling pain in the whole body. Local anesthesia is only applied to a certain part of the body and only prevents the patient from feeling pain in that part. Local anesthesia doesn't do anything for anxiety but general anesthesia does also work for that since it puts the patient to sleep.

But general anesthesia is very dangerous and only used during major surgery or procedures. It has many risks so one cannot opt for one when it's not necessary.

ddljohn

Which is used for a diagnostic test that involves pain, such as an angiogram? Anesthesia or sedation? And what about a minor procedure such as stitches but where the patient has a lot of anxiety?

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    • Anesthesia may be given to a patient to prevent movement and pain during a procedure.
      By: Tyler Olson
      Anesthesia may be given to a patient to prevent movement and pain during a procedure.
    • A local or regional anesthetic may be given to a patient during a dental procedure.
      By: Kadmy
      A local or regional anesthetic may be given to a patient during a dental procedure.
    • Conscious sedation is often preferred over general anesthesia for minor procedures, because it eliminates many of the health risks of being fully anesthetized.
      By: Tyler Olson
      Conscious sedation is often preferred over general anesthesia for minor procedures, because it eliminates many of the health risks of being fully anesthetized.
    • General anesthesia is used to induce a state of unconsciousness.
      By: evok20
      General anesthesia is used to induce a state of unconsciousness.
    • Major medical procedures may use both anesthesia and sedation.
      By: sudok1
      Major medical procedures may use both anesthesia and sedation.