Anesthesia

What happens right after the procedure?

General, epidural, and spinal anesthesias require at least an hour or two of monitoring. This is usually done in a surgery recovery room. An individual can go home if he or she does not need to recover in the hospital. Someone else must drive the person home because the medications used can impair coordination and reflexes for several hours.

Local, regional, and topical anesthesias often require only brief monitoring after the procedure. The person can often go home the same day. If sedatives or other medications were given, someone else must drive the person home.