How anaesthesia works
By interfering with nerve transmission, these special drugs stop pain signals from reaching the brain during operations
Anaesthetics are a form of drug widely used to prevent pain associated with surgery. They fall into two main categories: local and general. Local anaesthetics can be either applied directly to the skin - as a cream, for example - or injected. They are used to numb small areas without affecting consciousness, so the patient will remain awake throughout a procedure.