A local anesthesia helps numb a specific area of ​​the body so that a surgical, medical or treatment procedure can be done without causing pain. The principle is to temporarily block the nerve conduction in a specific area, so as to prevent painful sensations.

Local anesthesia is used for quick or minor surgery that does not require general or regional anesthesia.

Thus, the doctor resorts to local anesthesia in the following cases:

• for dental care
• for stitches
• for certain biopsies or minor surgical ablations (cysts, light dermatological procedures, etc.)
• for podiatry operations
• for insertion of intravenous devices (such as catheters) or before an injection
• or for a bladder examination using a tube inserted into the urethra (cystoscopy)

There are two ways to perform local anesthesia:

• by infiltration : the medical staff injects intradermally or subcutaneously with local anesthetic (especially lidocaine, procaine or even teÌ ?? tracaine) on the specific area of ​​the body to be numbed
• topical (on the surface): the medical personnel apply directly to the skin or mucous membranes a liquid, gel or spray containing a local anesthetic

The precise area targeted by the anesthesia is numb, the patient does not feel any pain. The doctor can perform a minor procedure or provide treatment without discomfort to the patient.