Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 3/30/2008

Question
I just read this about amnestic anesthesia and wondered if it was true and if so, what are the names of some of the drugs that are used for this purose? Please see below:
The surgical use is quite disturbing. They want to perform a procedure on you while you will be somewhat conscious, but it is painful and upsetting and will leave mental scars — so they put you through the pain but block you from remembering it.


Answer
I don't know where you read that but we don't do such things on a regular basis. The only time I can think of when that might be used is in cases where you need anesthesia for surgery but you are so sick that any anesthesia would kill you. When we are between a rock and a hard place like that, we can do the procedure without anesthesia but give you a medicine that makes you amnestic. (this way you can have the lifesaving surgery but not suffer while doing it. Two drugs that are very good for this are Scopalamine and Versed.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston