The decision as to which type of anesthesia to employ during surgery is made between the patient and the anesthesiologist. Typically, patients and their families meet with the anesthesia service in the days prior to surgery to discuss their general medical health, previous anesthetic experiences and specific anesthetic related concerns.
Three general categories of anesthesia are used for RP: general, regional or combination (general and regional). Multiple factors go into the decision as to which technique to use: patient preference, patient anatomy, medical history and post¬operative pain control needs. These issues are addressed with each patient during the pre-operative anesthesia visit. The vast majority of patients at VGH undergo general anesthesia.
