Anaesthetics are used during tests and surgical operations to numb sensation in certain areas of the body or induce sleep. This prevents pain and discomfort and enables a wide range of medical procedures to be carried out.

The most common types of anaesthetic are:

• Local anaesthetic - where a small area of the body is numbed but you remain conscious
• General anaesthetic - where you are totally unconscious and unaware of the procedure.

Other types of anaesthetic include:

• Regional block anaesthetic – a local anaesthetic given to a specific region of your body, leading to numbness or pain relief for deeper operations where more extensive numbness is needed
• Epidural anaesthesia – a type of regional anaesthetic usually used to numb the lower half of the body; for example, as pain relief during labour and childbirth
• Spinal anaesthetic – a type of regional anaesthetic used to give total numbness, lasting about 3 hours, to the lower parts of the body, such as in the base of your spine or in your lower back, so surgery can be safely carried out in this area
• Sedation – medication that makes you feel sleepy and relaxes you both physically and mentally; it's sometimes used to keep you calm during minor, painful or unpleasant procedures

Whilst anaesthetic can be an essential part of undergoing a medical procedure or operation, mistakes can be made with long term and devastating consequences.

Burnetts have expertise in dealing with a wide range of anaesthetic negligence cases including:

• Damage caused to the nerves or spinal cord whilst administering an anaesthetic or epidural
• Failure to monitor a patient correctly during or after the procedure leading to brain damage
• Failure to take a proper patient history prior to the anaesthetic leading to complications or allergic reaction
• Administering the wrong type or amount of anaesthetic
• Anaesthetic awareness where too little anaesthetic is administered or the patient is not properly monitored leading to psychological distress
• Incorrectly intubating the patient leading to oxygen starvation and brain damage
• Anaesthetic equipment which is faulty or has not been maintained