What kind of anesthesia is used for knee surgery? do i have to undergo general anesthesia for knee surgery?

No. : No. Most knee surgeries can be done with epidural anesthesia or general anesthesia. Often the decision of which to use is based on a mutual decision between the patient, surgeon and anesthesiologist. Some patients have medical conditions that make general anesthesia unsafe for example. With epidural anesthesia, the patient is often sedated with medications that make him/her very sleepy and such that they may not remember any of the surgery. General anesthesia means that the patient is given drugs that render them unconscious, and a tube or other device must be inserted into the airway to control the patient's breathing with a machine. Epidural anesthesia blocks nerve signals at the spinal cord in the back, and therefore can block pain signals from the leg from reaching the brain. Some surgeons will have preferences for one or another, often based on their experiences with using either in the past. Because a patient can be awake with epidural anesthesia, they could move which can be a safety issue for the patient and surgeon alike. In the case of a knee replacement surgery for example, patients may not want to hear or remember the sounds of the saws and mallets being used to shape the bone and fit the implants.

Maybe: There are three main types of anesthesia for knee surgery: general, regional or neuroaxial. For regional anesthesia you may be given either a nerve block. For neuroaxial, a spinal or epidural anesthetic. Unless contraindicated the choice of general, regional or neuroaxial anesthesia is up to you.

No there are options: Practical and eloquent alternatives to general anesthesia for knee surgery are 1) single sided spinal anesthesia or 2) peripheral nerve block anesthesia using a combined femoral and sciatic nerve block. Both alternatives typically involve some amount of IV sedation as well (although strictly speaking it is not necessary). The peripheral nerve block also provides long lasting post op pain control.

Regional anesthesia: The preference is sometimes driven by the surgeon, but commonly the choice is a regional anesthetic. There seems to be some benefits with regards to postoperative thrombosis and pain management.