Anaesthesia is pronounced an-ass-thees-ya. It may best be thought of as freedom from pain and is broadly classified into three types: General, Regional and Local. General Anaesthesia We often think of general anaesthesia as going to sleep for an operation. General Anaesthesia is actually a carefully controlled state of unconsciousness to pain and a loss of awareness of surroundings. It is achieved by a combination of drugs that are injected into the bloodstream and gases that are breathed into the lungs. Regional Anaesthesia This is where we numb part of the body while you remain awake. The most common forms of regional anaesthesia are Epidurals and Spinals, but there are many other types that can just numb an arm or a leg, for instance. Local Anaesthesia Operations on a very small part of the body, such as a skin lump or an eye operation, may be possible just by numbing a localised area. Local anaesthesia may also be combined with sedation to help you remain calm