All you need to know about Anaesthesia

Anaesthesia is the use of anaesthetic drugs administered on the body, which puts you in an unconscious state of mind with the absence of pain. In the operation theatre, you've always been told that they will put you to sleep. In fact, the truth is your mind is in a reversible coma.

Before anaesthesia, substances such as herbs, alcohol, opium and drugs were used as a medium to make a mind unconscious. They weren't highly effective and led to death due to overdose.

Nitrous oxide, or what we love to call natural gas, was discovered in 1772, by Joseph Priestley. Unfortunately, during one of his surgeries, the patient woke up and hence, it was abandoned. James Simpson mastered the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic.

Finally, in 1846, William Morton at the Massachusetts General Hospital had been searching for a better agent other than nitrous oxide, which was used by other dentists and surgeons. After much research and observation, he demonstrated, for the first time, the use of ether as a gas, when inhaled in proper dosage, could provide safe and effective anaesthesia.

The term "put you to sleep" after an anesthetic dose is administered doesn't necessarily make you unconscious.

Patients can wake up, and it can happen as as a result of pain. Sometimes, patients are able to recall their surroundings as is referred to as 'anesthesia awareness'. Therefore, surgeons have brain monitoring devices to measure their patient's consciousness. The patient can regain consciousness if they aren't given the right dosage.