A partial or complete loss of sensation, with or without the loss of consciousness as a result of disease, injury, or the administration of a painkilling agent, usually by injection, inhalation, or hypnosis: Although anesthesia is used to eliminate tactile sensibility, or of any of the other senses, it refers especially to the absence of pain because it is induced to permit the performance of surgery or other painful procedures.

Local anesthesia affects a limited area of the body as opposed to general anesthesia, which affects the whole body.

The index of anesthesia history, Parts 1, 2, and 3.

Medication, administered locally or regionally, which is used to eliminate pain in specific parts of the body, such as the area in which surgery is taking place: In local anesthesia, an agent is injected into the actual surgical site, while in regional anesthesia, the anesthetic agent is injected at a distance from the surgical site near the nerve that supplies that particular area.

The surgeon used a regional anesthesia when operating on Mike's foot, dulling the pain from his ankle and down to his toes.

The administration of anesthesia, which makes the patient insensitive to pain, when he or she is admitted and discharged on the same day of a minor surgical procedure: When Mariam fell and had a minor wound on her arm, she had ambulatory anesthesia during the medical treatment and so she was able to walk to her car with her husband so he could drive her home.

A loss of sensation as a result of involuntary contractions of the blood vessels: When Jane was at the theater she fainted and it was medically determined that it was because she had angiospastic anesthesia.

Anesthesia produced by injection of a local anesthetic into the caudal canal (toward the caudal or tail), the sacral portion (large heavy bone at the base of the spine) of the spinal canal: Caudal anesthesia is used to provide anesthesia and analgesia (pain relief) below the umbilicus.

Caudal anesthesia may be the sole anesthetic, or it can be combined with a general anesthesia.

For her knee operation, Dr. Smith, the anesthesiologist, administered a caudal anesthesia so Pearl was awake during the operation but she didn't feel any pain.

1. A medically induced, coma-like state for an individual which resembles deep sleep: Because the surgery was complex and would last for a long time, Dr. McMahon recommended general anesthesia for Patricia.
2. A complete loss of sensation that affects the entire body with a loss of consciousness: The general anesthesia is usually accomplished after the administration of inhalation or intravenous anesthetics and it is commonly used for surgical procedures.

Loss of the sense of pain in the skin which is associated with some psychiatric conditions, taking on geometric configurations or conforming to zones covered by various articles of clothing: In her panic, Isabel experienced hysterical anesthesia because she couldn't feel any sensations on her back where her jacket was so tight.

The absence, or loss, of the sense of smell: The fear of olfactory anesthesia was a disturbing factor for the workers at the perfume factory.

Having neither feeling nor any sensation in the lower part of the body: The anticipated outcome of an epidural injection is paraanesthesia.

The absence or lack of the sense of touch in the fingers, possibly resulting from injury or disease: "Tactile anesthesia can be a result of congenital kor psychosomatic and may cause the patient to incur severe burns, serious cuts, contusions (bruises), or abrasions."

The loss of sensation because of an injury to a nerve: Dr. Dawson, the neurologist, explained the positive improvements of Mark's traumatic anesthesia in terms of his ability to resume jogging.