Anesthesia
Most major surgical operations are performed under a general anesthetic. Before this is given to you, the anesthesiologist injects intravenous anesthetic into a vein on the back of your hand. He or she may press on the vein before inserting the needle to make the vein stand out. While the anesthetic is slowly injected, the anesthesiologist may ask you to count. As the drug begins to take effect, your concentration will fail.
A piece of metal may be strapped to your leg, either before or just after you are given the anesthetic. It is part of the diathermy equipment that is used during the operation. The diathermy equipment produces a high frequency electrical current that is grounded through the metal. This enables the surgeon to electrically stop any bleeding of vessels exposed by the incision.
Everyone who has an operation has an intravenous line put into a vein in the arm. It is inserted prior to surgery and strapped to your wrist to prevent movement of the needle. The intravenous line serves several purposes. Fluid can be infused through the vein to prevent dehydration. If a transfusion is quickly needed, the line for administration is already set up. Also, the same line can be used for giving intravenous medication to relax the muscles or, in an emergency, to control the heart rate or stimulate the heartbeat. It is quicker to inject directly into the tubing of the intravenous lines than try to find a vein, which might be least prominent in an emergency.
