Local anesthesia makes a part of the body numb to prevent a patient from feeling pain during a medical procedure. Local anesthesia is commonly used for many minor outpatient surgeries.
Before administering local anesthesia, the anesthesia provider will consider the patient’s health, medications, allergies, medical history and past use of anesthesia. This will help the provider decide which type of local anesthesia is best for the patient.
Local anesthesia can be injected through a needle. It can also be given in a cream or gel. The type of anesthesia used depends on the part of the body being numbed.
Local anesthesia will wear off within 4-12 hours. The numbness may last until a patient has gone home. A patient who has been given local anesthesia must be careful that they do not accidentally injure the numbed area before the anesthesia wears off. Side effects from local anesthesia are not common.