There are four main types of anaesthesia (spelled “anesthesia” in the US). General makes you unconscious. Regional, such as a spinal or nerve block, numbs a larger area. Local numbs a small area, and sedation makes you relaxed and drowsy. Your anaesthetist chooses based on the procedure, your health and your preferences, and often combines them.
Use this table to compare the main categories on the dimensions patients ask about most. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
| General | Regional | Local | Sedation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consciousness | Unconscious | Awake (sedation optional) | Fully awake | Drowsy to deeply asleep |
| What you feel | Nothing | Numbness in the region; no pain | Numbness at the site; no pain | Relaxed; usually no pain |
| Memory of procedure | None | Awareness of theatre, no pain | Awake, may watch | Usually little or none |
| Breathing | Managed by anaesthetist | Your own | Your own | Your own (closely monitored) |
| Typical use | Major surgery; long procedures | Limbs, lower body, childbirth | Skin, dental, small procedures | Endoscopy, cataract, minor work |
| Recovery focus | Drowsiness, sore throat possible | Numbness wears off over hours | Numbness wears off in 1–3 hours | You're usually awake within minutes, and the effects clear over 1–2 hours. |
| Who delivers it | Specialist anaesthetist | Specialist anaesthetist | Surgeon, GP, dentist or anaesthetist | Anaesthetist or accredited sedationist |
This table summarises typical practice in Australia. Your anaesthetist will tailor the plan to your individual situation.
Pick a common procedure to see the anaesthesia type(s) most often used in Australian practice, what to expect, and how recovery typically goes. This is a general guide — your anaesthetist makes the final plan.
In Australia, cataract surgery is almost always performed under topical local anaesthetic eye drops (sometimes a peribulbar or sub-Tenon's block) combined with light sedation. You stay awake but deeply relaxed — most patients remember little of the 15–20 minute procedure.
In Australia, cataract surgery is almost always performed under topical local anaesthetic eye drops (sometimes a peribulbar or sub-Tenon's block) combined with light sedation. You stay awake but deeply relaxed — most patients remember little of the 15–20 minute procedure.
You will be: Awake but very relaxed. Memory of the procedure: Usually little or none. Typical recovery: Home in 1–2 hours; no driving same day. Day stay or admission: Day stay.
Colonoscopy in Australia is typically performed under deep sedation — usually propofol delivered by a specialist anaesthetist. You are asleep throughout the 15–30 minute procedure, breathe on your own, and wake quickly afterwards.
You will be: Asleep (deep sedation). Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: 30–60 min in recovery; back to normal within a day. Day stay or admission: Day stay.
Gastroscopy is usually done under conscious or deep sedation, often with a numbing throat spray. The procedure typically takes 5–15 minutes. You may be sleepy enough that you remember nothing.
You will be: Drowsy to asleep. Memory of the procedure: Usually none. Typical recovery: 30–60 min recovery; no driving for 24 hours. Day stay or admission: Day stay.
Most knee arthroscopies are performed under general anaesthesia, often combined with an adductor canal or saphenous nerve block placed by your anaesthetist for post-operative pain relief. Spinal anaesthesia is an alternative your anaesthetist may discuss.
You will be: Unconscious. Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: A few hours in recovery; walking aids on discharge. Day stay or admission: Usually day stay.
Spinal anaesthesia combined with a nerve block (adductor canal or femoral) is increasingly standard for total knee replacement in Australia, often with light sedation. General anaesthesia remains an option. Either way, regional techniques significantly improve early pain relief and mobility.
You will be: Awake under spinal (often sedated); unconscious under GA. Memory of the procedure: Spinal: theatre but no pain. GA: none. Typical recovery: 1–3 days in hospital; full rehab over weeks. Day stay or admission: Admission (1–3 nights typical).
Spinal anaesthesia is widely used for hip replacement in Australia and is associated with lower blood loss and faster early recovery. Sedation can be added so you doze through the procedure. General anaesthesia remains a reasonable alternative.
You will be: Awake under spinal (often sedated); unconscious under GA. Memory of the procedure: Spinal: theatre but no pain. GA: none. Typical recovery: 1–3 days in hospital; physio starts day 1. Day stay or admission: Admission (1–3 nights typical).
Shoulder arthroscopy is typically done under general anaesthesia combined with an interscalene brachial plexus block, which can provide 12–24 hours of pain relief after surgery. You wake up with a numb arm — this is expected and wears off gradually.
You will be: Unconscious. Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: A few hours in recovery; arm in sling. Day stay or admission: Usually day stay.
Many carpal tunnel releases are done under local anaesthetic infiltration alone, with you fully awake. Alternatives include a Bier's block (regional anaesthesia of the arm) or general anaesthesia, depending on surgeon preference and patient anxiety.
You will be: Awake (local) or unconscious (GA). Memory of the procedure: Awake throughout if local. Typical recovery: Home soon after (local; numbness 1–3 hrs); a few hours (GA). Day stay or admission: Day stay.
Elective caesarean section is almost always performed under spinal anaesthesia. You are awake and your partner can be present for the birth. Sedation is avoided so you can meet your baby alert. General anaesthesia is reserved for emergencies or when spinal is unsuitable.
You will be: Awake; alert for the birth. Memory of the procedure: Full memory of the birth, no pain. Typical recovery: 2–4 days in hospital; spinal block wears off in hours. Day stay or admission: Admission (2–4 nights).
An epidural is a small catheter placed in your lower back, used to provide ongoing pain relief during labour. You remain awake and able to push when the time comes. Modern low-dose epidurals usually preserve enough strength to move your legs.
You will be: Fully awake throughout labour. Memory of the procedure: Complete memory of the birth. Typical recovery: Catheter removed after delivery; numbness clears in hours. Day stay or admission: Admission for delivery.
Hysterectomy is typically performed under general anaesthesia. Your anaesthetist may add a TAP (transversus abdominis plane) block or a spinal injection of long-acting opioids for post-operative pain relief, especially for laparoscopic or vaginal approaches.
You will be: Unconscious. Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: 1–4 days in hospital depending on approach. Day stay or admission: Admission.
Laparoscopic ("keyhole") gynaecological procedures — diagnostic laparoscopy, endometriosis, ovarian cyst removal — require general anaesthesia because the abdomen is inflated with gas, which is uncomfortable when awake.
You will be: Unconscious. Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: A few hours in recovery; shoulder-tip pain from gas is common. Day stay or admission: Usually day stay.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy requires general anaesthesia and a breathing tube, since the abdomen is inflated with CO₂ during the procedure. Most patients go home the same day or the morning after surgery.
You will be: Unconscious. Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: Same day or overnight; back to desk work in 1 week. Day stay or admission: Day stay or 1 night.
Open inguinal hernia repair can be done under general anaesthesia, spinal anaesthesia, or local infiltration with sedation — the choice depends on the surgical approach, your health, and your preference. Laparoscopic repair requires general anaesthesia.
You will be: Varies by technique. Memory of the procedure: Depends on anaesthetic chosen. Typical recovery: Day stay typical; light duties for 1–2 weeks. Day stay or admission: Usually day stay.
Appendix removal — whether laparoscopic or open — is done under general anaesthesia. As an emergency procedure, your anaesthetist will discuss the plan with you before surgery and pay particular attention to fasting status.
You will be: Unconscious. Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: 1–2 days in hospital; return to activities in 1–2 weeks. Day stay or admission: Admission.
Tonsillectomy is performed under general anaesthesia with a breathing tube. Long-acting local anaesthetic may be infiltrated into the tonsil bed by the surgeon for post-operative pain relief. Sore throat for 7–14 days is expected.
You will be: Unconscious. Memory of the procedure: None. Typical recovery: A few hours recovery; sore throat for 1–2 weeks. Day stay or admission: Day stay or 1 night.
Wisdom teeth removal is most often performed under general anaesthesia or deep sedation in an oral surgery day-stay facility, combined with local anaesthetic infiltration by the surgeon. Simpler cases can be done under local alone in the dentist's chair.
You will be: Asleep to unconscious. Memory of the procedure: Usually none. Typical recovery: A few hours; soft diet for several days. Day stay or admission: Day stay.
Skin lesion removal — moles, cysts, skin cancers — is done under local anaesthetic infiltrated around the lesion. You stay fully awake, feel pressure but no pain, and walk out a few minutes later. Larger or more involved excisions may add sedation.
You will be: Fully awake. Memory of the procedure: Complete memory. Typical recovery: Immediate; wound care for 1–2 weeks. Day stay or admission: Clinic visit.
Cystoscopy (camera examination of the bladder) is often done with a flexible scope under local anaesthetic gel — quick and awake. Rigid cystoscopy and any associated procedures usually need sedation or general anaesthesia.
You will be: Varies by technique. Memory of the procedure: Depends on anaesthetic chosen. Typical recovery: Minutes (flexible) to hours (rigid). Day stay or admission: Day stay.
Important: This explorer reflects the most common Australian approach. Your anaesthetist may recommend a different plan based on your health, the surgeon's preference, the facility, and your wishes. Always discuss the specifics of your case at your pre-anaesthetic consultation.
The same four categories, but with the detail patients actually want: how each works, what you'll feel, common uses, and what recovery is like.
A medically induced, carefully controlled state of unconsciousness. You are completely unaware of the procedure and feel nothing.
Your anaesthetist gives a combination of medications — typically through an intravenous (IV) line in your hand or arm, sometimes followed by anaesthetic gases inhaled through a mask or breathing tube. Within seconds, you lose consciousness. The anaesthetist continuously monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, oxygen levels, and depth of anaesthesia, adjusting medication throughout the operation.
You will remember being in the anaesthetic room, possibly counting backwards or feeling a brief stinging sensation as the IV medication goes in. The next thing you experience is waking in the recovery room. Most people describe it as time skipping forward — there is no sense of the operation having taken place.
You will spend 30 to 90 minutes in the recovery room as the anaesthetic wears off and pain relief is established. Most people are alert and oriented within an hour. Feeling completely back to normal — full concentration, energy, and reflexes — typically takes 24 hours. Driving, signing legal documents, and operating machinery should be avoided for 24 hours after a general anaesthetic.
A sore throat (from the breathing tube), nausea, drowsiness, and shivering are common but short-lived. Awareness during general anaesthesia is uncommon and your anaesthetist continuously adjusts medication to prevent it. Serious complications in a healthy patient having routine surgery are uncommon.
Local anaesthetic is injected around a major nerve or group of nerves, completely blocking pain from a region of the body. You stay awake unless you also have sedation.
Your anaesthetist uses ultrasound (or sometimes a nerve stimulator) to guide a small needle close to the nerves supplying the operative area. A local anaesthetic such as ropivacaine or bupivacaine is injected; within minutes the region becomes numb and heavy. The block can last anywhere from one hour to a full day depending on the drug used, and can be extended further by leaving a fine catheter in place.
You'll feel a brief sting as the local anaesthetic is injected into the skin, and possibly some pressure or pins-and-needles as the block sets in. The operative area then becomes numb and you cannot move it or feel pain. You can usually still feel touch and pressure, but not sharpness.
You avoid most of the side effects of general anaesthesia (drowsiness, sore throat, nausea), and pain relief continues for hours after the operation. Numbness usually wears off in 4 to 24 hours; for spinals, you may need to stay until you can move your legs and walk — passing urine before discharge is sometimes required. There is some evidence that regional anaesthesia is associated with less post-operative nausea and reduced opioid use.
Headache after a spinal is uncommon but possible. Permanent nerve injury from regional blocks is very rare. If you are anxious about being awake, sedation can be added so you doze through the procedure — many patients prefer this.
A small amount of local anaesthetic is injected at or near the surgical site, numbing only that area. You stay fully awake and aware.
An agent such as lignocaine (sometimes mixed with adrenaline to make the effect last longer) is injected into the skin and underlying tissue at the surgical site. Within a minute or two, the area is numb. The dose used is small, so the effect stays local — your wider body is not affected.
A brief stinging or burning as the local goes in. After that, you'll feel pressure and movement at the site but no sharpness or pain. You can talk, watch, and respond throughout. There is no drowsiness afterwards.
Almost none. You walk out, drive home, and resume normal activity. The numbness typically wears off in 1–3 hours, depending on the agent. There is no anaesthetic "hangover".
Local anaesthesia alone is best suited to small, short procedures. For anything longer or more uncomfortable, your doctor may suggest combining local with sedation so you stay relaxed. Local anaesthetic is administered by surgeons, GPs, dentists, and emergency physicians as well as by anaesthetists.
Medications make you relaxed, drowsy, and often forgetful of the procedure. You typically breathe on your own. Sometimes called "twilight" anaesthesia.
Your anaesthetist gives a carefully titrated combination of medications (such as midazolam, fentanyl, and propofol) through an IV. A small amount of supplemental oxygen is delivered via nasal prongs or a mask. Throughout, your anaesthetist monitors your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels — the "monitored" part of Monitored Anaesthesia Care.
You're usually awake within minutes, and the effects clear over 1–2 hours. You'll spend 30 to 60 minutes in recovery before going home, accompanied by a responsible adult. No driving, drinking alcohol, or signing legal documents for 24 hours.
Most patients remember little or nothing — the sedative medications cause short-term amnesia. Deep sedation has many of the same considerations as general anaesthesia, which is why having a specialist anaesthetist managing it adds an important layer of safety.
The four categories are rarely used in isolation. Combining techniques is standard practice and often gives the best results — better pain control, faster recovery, fewer side effects.
For knee replacement, shoulder surgery, or breast surgery, a nerve block is often placed before or during general anaesthesia. You wake up with the operative area already numb — and stay comfortable for many hours afterwards with less need for opioids.
The local anaesthetic does the heavy lifting (no pain at the site), while light sedation handles anxiety and discomfort. Standard for cataract surgery, many plastic procedures, and some endoscopies.
For major abdominal or chest surgery, an epidural is often placed before induction and left in place for several days post-op. This dramatically improves pain relief, helps you breathe more easily, and can speed up recovery.
Elective caesarean is almost always done under regional anaesthesia — usually a spinal block, sometimes a combined spinal-epidural. You stay awake and your partner can be present. Sedation is typically avoided so you can be alert for the birth. General anaesthesia is reserved for emergencies or when regional anaesthesia isn't possible.
In Australia, specialist anaesthesia is delivered by a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FANZCA) or by a supervised anaesthesia trainee. To become a FANZCA, a doctor must complete:
In total, a FANZCA has had more than 12 years of medical training before practising independently. Once qualified, anaesthetists are required to keep their skills current through ANZCA's CPD program. ANZCA also sets the professional standards for monitoring, equipment, and conduct of anaesthesia in operating theatres across Australia.
Modern anaesthetic practice in Australia is among the safest in the world. The vast majority of patients have a smooth procedure and an uncomplicated recovery. Some perspective on the most common risks:
Your anaesthetist will assess your individual risk before any procedure based on your age, medical conditions, medications, and the surgery itself, and will discuss any concerns with you at your pre-anaesthetic consultation.
The questions patients ask us most often before surgery. Tap any question to reveal the answer.
No. Whichever type of anaesthesia is used, the goal is for you to be free of pain during the procedure. Under general anaesthesia you are unconscious and have no awareness. Under regional or local anaesthesia, the specific area is numbed so you feel no pain even though you may stay awake. Sedation is often added so you feel relaxed and remember little.
Awareness during general anaesthesia is uncommon. When patients are asked about it directly after surgery, studies report it in around 1–2 per 1,000 general anaesthetics; when measured by spontaneous reports, the rate is much lower — UK national audit data (NAP5, Royal College of Anaesthetists) put it at about 1 in 19,000 general anaesthetics. Modern depth-of-anaesthesia monitoring and continuous adjustment of medication further reduce the risk.
It depends on the type. Most general anaesthetics wear off within 15 to 30 minutes of the operation ending, although feeling fully back to normal can take 24 hours. With sedation, you're usually awake within minutes, and the effects clear over 1–2 hours. Local and regional anaesthesia can last from one to 24 hours depending on the agent and the technique used.
Sedation makes you relaxed and drowsy but you can usually still respond to the anaesthetist. General anaesthesia is a controlled state of unconsciousness — you are completely unaware, and the anaesthetist manages your breathing and circulation. Deep sedation sits between the two and can resemble general anaesthesia.
For many procedures there is more than one safe option, and your preferences matter. Your anaesthetist will discuss the choices, the pros and cons of each, and recommend what suits your health and the procedure best. For some operations only one type is suitable, in which case your anaesthetist will explain why.
Modern anaesthesia in Australia is very safe. The risk of a serious adverse event in a healthy patient having routine surgery is very low. Risk increases with age, complex medical conditions, and the complexity of the surgery itself. Your anaesthetist will assess your individual risk before any procedure.
The pre-anaesthetic consultation lets your anaesthetist review your medical history, medications, allergies and airway, choose the safest anaesthetic plan, and answer your questions. For straightforward day surgery this is sometimes done on the day; for complex surgery it usually happens days or weeks beforehand.
Most people remember very little or nothing of a procedure done under sedation. Many of the medications used cause short-term amnesia. The depth of sedation also affects memory — deeper sedation means less recall.
Common short-lived side effects include drowsiness, a sore throat (after a breathing tube), nausea, shivering, and a mild headache. These usually settle within a few hours. Anaesthetists can offer medication to prevent or treat nausea if you have had problems with it before.
Yes. In Australia, a specialist anaesthetist (or appropriately supervised anaesthesia trainee) stays with you continuously from the start of anaesthesia until you are handed over to recovery staff, in line with ANZCA professional standards.
Medical disclaimer. This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. If you have specific concerns about anaesthesia for your procedure, please discuss them with your anaesthetist, surgeon, or GP.
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