Dr. Alopi Patel

Kind of, yeah. It doesn't cut off communication necessarily. That would be something like a local anesthetic, right? So a local anesthetic does cut off communication where it just doesn't allow that pain signaling to go through. But an anesthetic like an IV anesthetic or an inhaled anesthetic just kind of relaxes it so you don't really have that stimulation as much.

Kind of, yeah. It doesn't cut off communication necessarily. That would be something like a local anesthetic, right? So a local anesthetic does cut off communication where it just doesn't allow that pain signaling to go through. But an anesthetic like an IV anesthetic or an inhaled anesthetic just kind of relaxes it so you don't really have that stimulation as much.

Kind of, yeah. It doesn't cut off communication necessarily. That would be something like a local anesthetic, right? So a local anesthetic does cut off communication where it just doesn't allow that pain signaling to go through. But an anesthetic like an IV anesthetic or an inhaled anesthetic just kind of relaxes it so you don't really have that stimulation as much.

And it creates this low energy mode, essentially that airplane mode where You just don't feel it as much. If there's significant enough pain, you can definitely feel it, but you won't recall it. And that's another important aspect of anesthesia, right? So there's anesthesia, which is that not feeling sensation, analgesia, which is not feeling pain, muscle relaxation, and then memory loss, right?

And it creates this low energy mode, essentially that airplane mode where You just don't feel it as much. If there's significant enough pain, you can definitely feel it, but you won't recall it. And that's another important aspect of anesthesia, right? So there's anesthesia, which is that not feeling sensation, analgesia, which is not feeling pain, muscle relaxation, and then memory loss, right?

And it creates this low energy mode, essentially that airplane mode where You just don't feel it as much. If there's significant enough pain, you can definitely feel it, but you won't recall it. And that's another important aspect of anesthesia, right? So there's anesthesia, which is that not feeling sensation, analgesia, which is not feeling pain, muscle relaxation, and then memory loss, right?

So when you have anesthesia, your body is not feeling certain things. When you have the pain medications, you're creating that pain-free state. muscle relaxation, which is muscle relaxants, and then memory recall. You're not going to recall anything either.

So when you have anesthesia, your body is not feeling certain things. When you have the pain medications, you're creating that pain-free state. muscle relaxation, which is muscle relaxants, and then memory recall. You're not going to recall anything either.

So when you have anesthesia, your body is not feeling certain things. When you have the pain medications, you're creating that pain-free state. muscle relaxation, which is muscle relaxants, and then memory recall. You're not going to recall anything either.

Yeah, most of the time you won't remember anything. So we call that recall in anesthesia. So if we do that recipe just right in the kitchen of the operating room, basically, if we do everything just right, most patients will not remember anything from their anesthetic. How is anesthesia different from sleep? So that's a great question.

Yeah, most of the time you won't remember anything. So we call that recall in anesthesia. So if we do that recipe just right in the kitchen of the operating room, basically, if we do everything just right, most patients will not remember anything from their anesthetic. How is anesthesia different from sleep? So that's a great question.

Yeah, most of the time you won't remember anything. So we call that recall in anesthesia. So if we do that recipe just right in the kitchen of the operating room, basically, if we do everything just right, most patients will not remember anything from their anesthetic. How is anesthesia different from sleep? So that's a great question.

Sleep has its own sort of neurochemistry and physiology, and there are REM waves associated with it. You can have dreaming associated with sleep. But anesthesia, you can sleep for five minutes and feel like you've got the most restful sleep. but you didn't actually go into REM sleep. It's more of like this state of unconsciousness and you might feel relaxed, but it is different than true sleep.

Sleep has its own sort of neurochemistry and physiology, and there are REM waves associated with it. You can have dreaming associated with sleep. But anesthesia, you can sleep for five minutes and feel like you've got the most restful sleep. but you didn't actually go into REM sleep. It's more of like this state of unconsciousness and you might feel relaxed, but it is different than true sleep.

Sleep has its own sort of neurochemistry and physiology, and there are REM waves associated with it. You can have dreaming associated with sleep. But anesthesia, you can sleep for five minutes and feel like you've got the most restful sleep. but you didn't actually go into REM sleep. It's more of like this state of unconsciousness and you might feel relaxed, but it is different than true sleep.

You're not having the same brainwave changes and you're not necessarily having the same dreams that you would under natural sleep state.

You're not having the same brainwave changes and you're not necessarily having the same dreams that you would under natural sleep state.

You're not having the same brainwave changes and you're not necessarily having the same dreams that you would under natural sleep state.

Absolutely. And it is such a privilege to be with patients at that time. I think it is one of the most vulnerable times for most patients, right? To feel like, okay, I am not going to have sensation or power or autonomy over my own body anymore. And you're giving it to the hands of the anesthesiologist at that time.

Absolutely. And it is such a privilege to be with patients at that time. I think it is one of the most vulnerable times for most patients, right? To feel like, okay, I am not going to have sensation or power or autonomy over my own body anymore. And you're giving it to the hands of the anesthesiologist at that time.