Blood pressure cuff
A device wrapped around the arm or leg that gives a tight squeeze, then loosens to measure blood pressure.

Breathing tube
An endotracheal tube is usually called a breathing tube. It is used for several reasons when people require a general anesthetic. It is placed into your windpipe AFTER you are fully asleep under a general anesthetic. It ensures at that your airway (windpipe) stays open while you are asleep and allows the anesthesia team to easily control your breathing while you are asleep if this is necessary. Not everyone that has general anesthesia has a breathing tube. Your anesthesiologist will decided if is necessary and will discuss it with you before you go to sleep.

Clear liquids
Clear liquids are allowed until three hours before surgery. Clear liquids include water, Popsicles, apple juice, Kool-Aid, Jell-O or soft drinks.

EKG
Patches that stick to the chest are connected to wires and a machine, called an electrocardiogram, that monitors heart rate and rhythm.

Intravenous Catheter (IV)
An intravenous catheter is most commonly referred to as an "IV." It is a short, slender plastic tube that is inserted into a blood vessel called a vein. Placing an intravenous catheter (IV) requires a needle. Once the IV is in your vein, the needle is removed and only the plastic tube is left inside. An IV is used to give you fluids and medication. The fluids provide a "drink" for your body by going directly into your bloodstream. Medicines given through an IV likewise go directly into your bloodstream. Thus, IV medicines work much more quickly that those that you swallow so you will feel the effects faster.

Anesthesia
a). Local anesthesia
Local anesthesia is achieved by injecting special medication (with a needle) into a part of your body. This numbs a small area around the injection site. Such medication is sometimes called "numbing medicine." The affected or anesthetized area may still sense pressure if someone touches you. You do not feel pain in that specific area as long as the local anesthetic (number medicine) is working. The length of time the numbness lasts depends on which local anesthetic medication is used; some last for an hour and others last for two to three hours. The only part of your body that is "asleep" is the area where the numbing medicine has been injected.

b). General anesthesia
General anesthesia is a medically controlled state of unconsciousness. When you are asleep under a general anesthetic, you do not feel anything or remember anything that happens to you during this period of time.

c). Modes of induction
There is more than one way to go to sleep with general anesthesia. One way is called an inhalation induction because it uses anesthetic gases that are inhaled from a facemask. When this is done, you fall asleep gradually over several minutes. The other common way to go to sleep is called an IV (intravenous) induction. Intravenous medication works very quickly and you fall asleep under general anesthesia within 15-30 seconds. There are several factors that contribute to deciding the best way for you to go to sleep. Some factors that are considered include age, weight, type of surgery, underlying medical conditions, etc. Your anesthesiologist will make this decision. Ultimately, they will decide on the safest way for you to go to sleep.

Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
A place in the hospital where patients who have just had surgery are cared for while they begin to wake up from anesthesia.

Pulse Oximeter
A small adhesive bandage wrapped around a finger or toe connected to a machine to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Vital signs
Temperature, pulse (heartbeat), and blood pressure. These are measured often before, during and after surgery to see how the body is working.