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It's pretty much the only way to do it.

I'm not quite sure where your confusion lies. When a breathing tube is inserted, you breathe through it. General anesthesia typically involves gas that you breathe. Therefore, it's going to go through the tube, right?

Parathyroidectomy isn't a procedure that lends itself to local or regional anesthesia, so general is the preferred technique.

Masks can be used for GA, but when the surgery is on the neck, it's tough to hold a mask and not be in the surgeon's way. We also like to have our hands free for charting and such. I use masks for short cases sometimes, they certainly "do the job", in contrast to what another answerer wrote. To further correct him, we sometimes use a different device to manage airways, called a laryngeal mask airway, that sits in the back of he throat but doesn't go into the windpipe. An endotracheal tube is not standard for all general anesthetic cases. It is used for the cases in which it is appropriate.

No, you won't feel anything. They'll probably give you a sedative before you actually begin receiving the general anesthesia. Sometimes this is just diazepam (Valium) or lorazepam (Ativan). Then, the anesthesiologist will start an IV (if there isn't one already) and you will receive the general anesthesia in your vein. Sometimes they administer gas for you to breathe which will knock you out initially, then they will follow that up with the parenteral anesthesia. In short -- you won't feel anything during the procedure but you may feel extremely nauseated following the procedure during your "waking-up" phase. That's normal and keep in mind that you may vomit. That's why it is *extremely* imperative that you not have ANYTHING to eat/drink after midnight on the night prior to surgery.

It definitely is standard practice in all general anesthesia cases..

The endotracheal tube is used to maintain an open airway throughout the procedure. A mask just doesn't do the job.