local anesthesia

noun

: loss of sensation in a limited and usually superficial area produced especially by an anesthetic affecting only a part of the body

This procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia, and can be done by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon on an outpatient basis.

—Consumer Reports

compare general anesthesia

local anesthetic noun

More than 60 percent of American women choose relief in the form of an epidural, a combination of local anesthetic and narcotic administered into the epidural space surrounding the spinal cord.

—Melinda Wenner Moyer

Examples of local anesthesia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Surgeons commonly do the procedure with patients awake, using local anesthesia (numbing injections) plus an oral sedative, like Xanax, to quell anxiety. —Jolene Edgar, Allure, 20 Nov. 2024

What to Expect When administering hyaluronic acid, the healthcare provider will do the following: Inject local anesthesia into the space around the joint to numb it. —Alex Yampolsky, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2024

If those approaches fail, more intensive hospital care can include intravenous opioids and fluids, ketamine and local anesthesia, among other strategies. —Emily Sohn, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

Electrophysiology test: This procedure is done under local anesthesia. —Carisa Brewster, Verywell Health, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

local anesthesia

noun

: loss of sensation in a limited and usually superficial area especially from the effect of a local anesthetic