Until 1846—the year anesthesia was officially introduced— patients had to bite the bullet when it came to pain during surgery. Those who endured the excruciating, terrifying ordeal often had nightmares about the experience for the rest of their lives. Today, thanks to research, time-tested medications and the modern anesthesia care team, there are options available to make surgery as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

General anesthesia is used for MiniMaze surgery. Unlike local or regional anesthesia (which numb specific areas of the body), general anesthesia relaxes patients enough to fall asleep, feel nothing and have no memory of the procedure. Before going into the operating room, patients meet the anesthesia team assigned to the surgery: a physician anesthesiologist and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). This team explains the type of anesthesia that will be used, is responsible for sedation during surgery and determines when a patient can leave the recovery room.

For information about the different types of anesthesia used during MiniMaze surgery or other procedures, please call the Department of Anesthesia at Bridgeport Hospital at 203-384-3463, or visit www.bridgeporthospital.com/ anesthesia.