| Patient Education |
Here you will find important and useful information to help you become a more informed patient about the medical care you receive
before, during and following surgical and diagnostic procedures. As anesthesiologists who are cited as the experts in patient safety, we
believe every patient benefits from knowing beforehand what to expect and being actively involved in their own care.
The content provided in this section is taken directly from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Web Site.
Patient Awareness - What Is It?
Although awareness during anesthesia is extremely rare, a brochure was created by ASA due to controversy surrounding a few isolated
incidences of awareness and recent media attention given to brain-wave monitoring technology. It addresses questions patients can ask
their physicians about awareness, the important role anesthesiologists play during surgical procedures and the latest science behind
brain-wave monitoring. To access the brochure, click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------
What is Anesthesiology?
Anesthesiology is the practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during and after
surgery.
The education of today's anesthesiologists has kept pace with their expanding role in offering the highest quality health care available
anywhere in the world. After completing a four-year college program and four years of medical school, they enter a four-year
anesthesiology residency training program. Fellowships in an anesthesia subspecialty and in education or research may also be taken
for an additional year.
More than 90 percent of the active membership of the American Society of Anesthesiologists have been certified as diplomates of the
American Board of Anesthesiology.
Scope of Practice
The medical expertise of this specialist has caused a dramatic expansion of the role of the anesthesiologist. Although historically,
anesthesiologists have been known primarily as physicians who administer anesthesia to alleviate pain and suppress consciousness
of the patient undergoing surgery, they also provide medical care and consultations in many other settings and situations in addition to
the operating room.
The anesthesiologist is the perioperative physician ("peri-" meaning "all-around") who provides medical care to each patient throughout
his or her surgical experience. This includes medically evaluating the patient before surgery (preoperative), consulting with the surgical
team, providing pain control and support of life functions during surgery (intraoperative), supervising care after surgery (postoperative)
and medically discharging the patient from the recovery unit.
In the operating room:
An estimated 40 million anesthetics are administered each year in this country. Anesthesiologists provide or participate in more than 90
percent of these anesthetics. In the operating room, they are responsible for the medical management and anesthetic care of the patient
throughout the duration of the surgery. The anesthesiologist must carefully match the anesthetic needs of each patient to that patient's
medical condition, responses to anesthesia and the requirements of the surgery.
Within the confines of the operating room suite, which is often comprised of several separate operating rooms, the activities of the
anesthesiologist are seen by few people outside of the surgical and nursing team. Even the patients themselves are unable to recall
much of their involvement with this vital specialist because most of the anesthesiologist's critical work is done while the patient is
anesthetized! The role of the anesthesiologist in the operating room is to: 1) provide continual medical assessment of the patient; 2)
monitor and control the patient's vital life functions -- heart rate and rhythm, breathing, blood pressure, body temperature and body fluid
balance; and 3) control the patient's pain and level of unconsciousness to make conditions ideal for a safe and successful surgery.
In the postanesthesia care unit (recovery room)
This is where patients are transferred after surgery, allowing them to emerge fully from the effects of the anesthesia under the watchful
eyes of skilled nursing personnel with anesthesiologist consultation immediately available. While safety is of course the foremost priority
during surgery, it is also of utmost concern that the patient be monitored and continually assessed while fully regaining consciousness.
In most cases, the anesthesiologist decides when the patient has recovered enough to be sent home following outpatient surgery or has
been stabilized sufficiently to be moved to a regular room or ward in the medical facility.
For pain management:
In addition to the patient's pain being relieved or blocked entirely during a surgical procedure, it is equally important to provide adequate
pain relief postoperatively for the patient's comfort and well-being. After surgery, the anesthesiologist is involved in prescribing
pain-relieving medication and techniques that are best for each individual patient to maintain a level of comfort and to follow proper rest.
Because of their specialty training, anesthesiologists are uniquely qualified to prescribe and administer drug therapies for acute, chronic,
cancer and childbirth pain. In childbirth, the anesthesiologist manages the care of two people, providing pain relief with epidural or spinal
blocks for the mother while managing the life functions of both the mother and the baby. Read "The Management of Pain" brochure.
In critical care and trauma medicine:
As an outgrowth of the postanesthesia care unit, critical care units are now found in all major medical facilities throughout the country.
The role of the anesthesiologist in this setting is to provide medical assessment and diagnosis, respiratory and cardiovascular support,
and infection control.
Anesthesiologists also have the medical background to deal with many emergency situations. They provide airway management, cardiac
and pulmonary resuscitation, advanced life support and pain control. As consultants, they play an active role in stabilizing and preparing
the patient for emergency surgery.
During cardiac laboratory procedures:
In most institutions, anesthesiologists are available during cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures for emergency airway
management or resuscitation if necessary.
For diagnostic procedures and nonsurgical treatments:
As medical technologies have advanced, so has the need for anesthesiologists to become involved in caring for patients during
radiological imaging or scanning procedures, gastrointestinal endoscopies, in vitro fertilization, lithotripsy procedures, electroshock
treatment, nutritional support and respiratory therapy.
Research and Clinical Studies
Some of the most significant strides in medicine and surgery have been directly attributed to anesthesiology's advances in patient
monitoring, improved anesthetic agents and new drug therapy. Research at the clinical and basic science levels has been done almost
exclusively by anesthesiologists or Ph.D. scientists with the goal of continually improving patient care and safety.
Research is conducted in each of the subspecialties of pediatric, geriatric, obstetric, critical care, cardiovascular, neurosurgical and
ambulatory anesthesia. Other areas of study include: blood transfusions and fluid therapy, infection control, difficult airway management,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, complications, new devices and methods of monitoring, pharmacology, pain therapy and organ
transplant.
Patient Safety
Complications from anesthesia have declined dramatically over the last 25 years. Since 1970, the number of anesthesiologists has
more than doubled and, at the same time and at virtually the same rate, patient outcomes have improved. In just the last decade,
estimates for the number of deaths attributed to anesthesia have dropped 25-fold from 1 in 10,000 anesthetics to 1 in 250,000 today.
All this has occurred during a time when the youngest of premature infants in neonatal units survives intricate, lifesaving procedures and
100-year-old patients undergo and recover from major surgeries that were once thought to be impossible.
before, during and following surgical and diagnostic procedures. As anesthesiologists who are cited as the experts in patient safety, we
believe every patient benefits from knowing beforehand what to expect and being actively involved in their own care.
The content provided in this section is taken directly from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Web Site.
Patient Awareness - What Is It?
Although awareness during anesthesia is extremely rare, a brochure was created by ASA due to controversy surrounding a few isolated
incidences of awareness and recent media attention given to brain-wave monitoring technology. It addresses questions patients can ask
their physicians about awareness, the important role anesthesiologists play during surgical procedures and the latest science behind
brain-wave monitoring. To access the brochure, click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------
What is Anesthesiology?
Anesthesiology is the practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during and after
surgery.
The education of today's anesthesiologists has kept pace with their expanding role in offering the highest quality health care available
anywhere in the world. After completing a four-year college program and four years of medical school, they enter a four-year
anesthesiology residency training program. Fellowships in an anesthesia subspecialty and in education or research may also be taken
for an additional year.
More than 90 percent of the active membership of the American Society of Anesthesiologists have been certified as diplomates of the
American Board of Anesthesiology.
Scope of Practice
The medical expertise of this specialist has caused a dramatic expansion of the role of the anesthesiologist. Although historically,
anesthesiologists have been known primarily as physicians who administer anesthesia to alleviate pain and suppress consciousness
of the patient undergoing surgery, they also provide medical care and consultations in many other settings and situations in addition to
the operating room.
The anesthesiologist is the perioperative physician ("peri-" meaning "all-around") who provides medical care to each patient throughout
his or her surgical experience. This includes medically evaluating the patient before surgery (preoperative), consulting with the surgical
team, providing pain control and support of life functions during surgery (intraoperative), supervising care after surgery (postoperative)
and medically discharging the patient from the recovery unit.
In the operating room:
An estimated 40 million anesthetics are administered each year in this country. Anesthesiologists provide or participate in more than 90
percent of these anesthetics. In the operating room, they are responsible for the medical management and anesthetic care of the patient
throughout the duration of the surgery. The anesthesiologist must carefully match the anesthetic needs of each patient to that patient's
medical condition, responses to anesthesia and the requirements of the surgery.
Within the confines of the operating room suite, which is often comprised of several separate operating rooms, the activities of the
anesthesiologist are seen by few people outside of the surgical and nursing team. Even the patients themselves are unable to recall
much of their involvement with this vital specialist because most of the anesthesiologist's critical work is done while the patient is
anesthetized! The role of the anesthesiologist in the operating room is to: 1) provide continual medical assessment of the patient; 2)
monitor and control the patient's vital life functions -- heart rate and rhythm, breathing, blood pressure, body temperature and body fluid
balance; and 3) control the patient's pain and level of unconsciousness to make conditions ideal for a safe and successful surgery.
In the postanesthesia care unit (recovery room)
This is where patients are transferred after surgery, allowing them to emerge fully from the effects of the anesthesia under the watchful
eyes of skilled nursing personnel with anesthesiologist consultation immediately available. While safety is of course the foremost priority
during surgery, it is also of utmost concern that the patient be monitored and continually assessed while fully regaining consciousness.
In most cases, the anesthesiologist decides when the patient has recovered enough to be sent home following outpatient surgery or has
been stabilized sufficiently to be moved to a regular room or ward in the medical facility.
For pain management:
In addition to the patient's pain being relieved or blocked entirely during a surgical procedure, it is equally important to provide adequate
pain relief postoperatively for the patient's comfort and well-being. After surgery, the anesthesiologist is involved in prescribing
pain-relieving medication and techniques that are best for each individual patient to maintain a level of comfort and to follow proper rest.
Because of their specialty training, anesthesiologists are uniquely qualified to prescribe and administer drug therapies for acute, chronic,
cancer and childbirth pain. In childbirth, the anesthesiologist manages the care of two people, providing pain relief with epidural or spinal
blocks for the mother while managing the life functions of both the mother and the baby. Read "The Management of Pain" brochure.
In critical care and trauma medicine:
As an outgrowth of the postanesthesia care unit, critical care units are now found in all major medical facilities throughout the country.
The role of the anesthesiologist in this setting is to provide medical assessment and diagnosis, respiratory and cardiovascular support,
and infection control.
Anesthesiologists also have the medical background to deal with many emergency situations. They provide airway management, cardiac
and pulmonary resuscitation, advanced life support and pain control. As consultants, they play an active role in stabilizing and preparing
the patient for emergency surgery.
During cardiac laboratory procedures:
In most institutions, anesthesiologists are available during cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures for emergency airway
management or resuscitation if necessary.
For diagnostic procedures and nonsurgical treatments:
As medical technologies have advanced, so has the need for anesthesiologists to become involved in caring for patients during
radiological imaging or scanning procedures, gastrointestinal endoscopies, in vitro fertilization, lithotripsy procedures, electroshock
treatment, nutritional support and respiratory therapy.
Research and Clinical Studies
Some of the most significant strides in medicine and surgery have been directly attributed to anesthesiology's advances in patient
monitoring, improved anesthetic agents and new drug therapy. Research at the clinical and basic science levels has been done almost
exclusively by anesthesiologists or Ph.D. scientists with the goal of continually improving patient care and safety.
Research is conducted in each of the subspecialties of pediatric, geriatric, obstetric, critical care, cardiovascular, neurosurgical and
ambulatory anesthesia. Other areas of study include: blood transfusions and fluid therapy, infection control, difficult airway management,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, complications, new devices and methods of monitoring, pharmacology, pain therapy and organ
transplant.
Patient Safety
Complications from anesthesia have declined dramatically over the last 25 years. Since 1970, the number of anesthesiologists has
more than doubled and, at the same time and at virtually the same rate, patient outcomes have improved. In just the last decade,
estimates for the number of deaths attributed to anesthesia have dropped 25-fold from 1 in 10,000 anesthetics to 1 in 250,000 today.
All this has occurred during a time when the youngest of premature infants in neonatal units survives intricate, lifesaving procedures and
100-year-old patients undergo and recover from major surgeries that were once thought to be impossible.
South Bay Anesthesia Associates
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"Your Safety With Anesthesia is Our Number One Concern" South Bay Anesthesia Associates "Your Safety with Anesthesia is Our Number One Concern" In this Patient Education section will find important and useful information to help you become a more informed patient about the medical care you receive before, during and following surgical and diagnostic procedures. As anesthesiologists who are cited as the experts in patient safety, we believe every patient benefits from knowing beforehand what to expect and being actively involved in their own care. There are Three Main Categories of Anesthesia: Local, Regional, and General. In Local Anesthesia, the anesthetic drug is usually injected into the tissue to numb just the specific location of your body requiring minor surgery, for example, on the hand or foot. In Regional Anesthesia, your anesthesiologist makes an injection near a cluster of nerves to numb the area of your body that requires surgery. You may remain awake, or you may be given a sedative. You do not see or feel the actual surgery take place. There are several kinds of regional anesthesia. Two of the most frequently used are spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia, which are produced by injections made with great exactness in the appropriate areas of the back. They are frequently preferred for Childbirth and Orthopedic surgery. In General Anesthesia, you are unconscious and have no awareness or other sensations. There are a number of general anesthetic drugs. Some are gases or vapors inhaled through a breathing mask or tube and others are medications introduced through a vein. During anesthesia, you are carefully monitored, controlled and treated by your anesthesiologist, who uses sophisticated equipment to track all your major bodily functions. A breathing tube may be inserted through your mouth and frequently into the windpipe to maintain proper breathing during this period. The length and level of anesthesia is calculated and constantly adjusted with great precision. At the conclusion of surgery, your anesthesiologist will reverse the process and you will regain awareness in the recovery room. Q: What are the risks of anesthesia? A: All operations and all anesthesia have some risks, and they are dependent upon many factors including the type of surgery and the medical condition of the patient. Fortunately, adverse events are very rare. Your anesthesiologist takes precautions to prevent an accident from occurring just as you do when driving a car or crossing the street. The specific risks of anesthesia vary with the particular procedure and the condition of the patient. You should ask your anesthesiologist about any risks that may be associated with your anesthesia. Q: What about eating or drinking before my anesthesia? A: As a general rule, you should not eat or drink anything after midnight before your surgery. Under some circumstances, you may be given permission by your anesthesiologist to drink clear liquids up to a few hours before your anesthesia. Q: Should I take my usual medicines? A: Some medications should be taken and others should not. It is important to discuss this with your anesthesiologists. Do not interrupt medications unless your anesthesiologist or surgeon recommends it. Q: Could herbal medicines and other dietary supplements affect my anesthesia if I need surgery? A: Anesthesiologists are conducting research to determine exactly how certain herbs and dietary supplements interact with certain anesthetics. They are finding that certain herbal medicines may prolong the effects of anesthesia. Others may increase the risks of bleeding or raise blood pressure. Some effects may be subtle and less critical, but for anesthesiologists anticipating a possible reaction is better than reacting to an unexpected condition. So it is very important to tell your doctor about everything you take before surgery. Q: What makes office-based anesthesia different? A: There is one fundamental and very important difference between office-based anesthesia and receiving anesthesia in a hospital or ambulatory surgical center. The strict, well-defined standards and regulations that keep surgery and anesthesia very safe in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers do not uniformly apply to physicians offices in the United States. Q: How is the epidural block performed for labor and delivery? A: An epidural block is given in the lower back. You will either be sitting up or lying on your side. The block is administered below the level of the spinal cord. The anesthesiologist will use a local anesthesia to numb an area of your lower back. A special needle is placed in the epidural space just outside the spinal sac. Patient Awareness - What Is It? Although awareness during anesthesia is extremely rare, a brochure was created by American Society of Anesthesiologists due to controversy surrounding a few isolated incidences of awareness and recent media attention given to brain-wave monitoring technology. It addresses questions patients can ask their physicians about awareness, the important role anesthesiologists play during surgical procedures and the latest science behind brain-wave monitoring. To access the brochure, click here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Anesthesiology? Anesthesiology is the practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during and after surgery. The education of today's anesthesiologists has kept pace with their expanding role in offering the highest quality health care available anywhere in the world. After completing a four-year college program and four years of medical school, they enter a four-year anesthesiology residency training program. Fellowships in an anesthesia subspecialty and in education or research may also be taken for an additional year. More than 90 percent of the active membership of the American Society of Anesthesiologists have been certified as diplomates of the American Board of Anesthesiology. Scope of Practice The medical expertise of this specialty has caused a dramatic expansion of the role of the anesthesiologist. Although historically, anesthesiologists have been known primarily as physicians who administer anesthesia to alleviate pain and suppress consciousness of the patient undergoing surgery, they also provide medical care and consultations in many other settings and situations in addition to the operating room. The anesthesiologist is the perioperative physician ("peri-" meaning "all-around") who provides medical care to each patient throughout his or her surgical experience. This includes medically evaluating the patient before surgery (preoperative), consulting with the surgical team, providing pain control and support of life functions during surgery (intraoperative), supervising care after surgery (postoperative) and medically discharging the patient from the recovery unit. In the operating room: An estimated 40 million anesthetics are administered each year in this country. Anesthesiologists provide or participate in more than 90 percent of these anesthetics. In the operating room, they are responsible for the medical management and anesthetic care of the patient throughout the duration of the surgery. The anesthesiologist must carefully match the anesthetic needs of each patient to that patient's medical condition, responses to anesthesia and the requirements of the surgery. Within the confines of the operating room suite, which is often comprised of several separate operating rooms, the activities of the anesthesiologist are seen by few people outside of the surgical and nursing team. Even the patients themselves are unable to recall much of their involvement with this vital specialist because most of the anesthesiologist's critical work is done while the patient is anesthetized! The role of the anesthesiologist in the operating room is to: 1) provide continual medical assessment of the patient; 2) monitor and control the patient's vital life functions -- heart rate and rhythm, breathing, blood pressure, body temperature and body fluid balance; and 3) control the patient's pain and level of unconsciousness to make conditions ideal for a safe and successful surgery. In the postanesthesia care unit (recovery room) This is where patients are transferred after surgery, allowing them to emerge fully from the effects of the anesthesia under the watchful eyes of skilled nursing personnel with anesthesiologist consultation immediately available. While safety is of course the foremost priority during surgery, it is also of utmost concern that the patient be monitored and continually assessed while fully regaining consciousness. In most cases, the anesthesiologist decides when the patient has recovered enough to be sent home following outpatient surgery or has been stabilized sufficiently to be moved to a regular room or ward in the medical facility. For pain management: In addition to the patient's pain being relieved or blocked entirely during a surgical procedure, it is equally important to provide adequate pain relief postoperatively for the patient's comfort and well-being. After surgery, the anesthesiologist is involved in prescribing pain-relieving medication and techniques that are best for each individual patient to maintain a level of comfort and to follow proper rest. Because of their specialty training, anesthesiologists are uniquely qualified to prescribe and administer drug therapies for acute, chronic, cancer and childbirth pain. In childbirth, the anesthesiologist manages the care of two people, providing pain relief with epidural or spinal blocks for the mother while managing the life functions of both the mother and the baby. Read "The Management of Pain" brochure. In critical care and trauma medicine: As an outgrowth of the postanesthesia care unit, critical care units are now found in all major medical facilities throughout the country. The role of the anesthesiologist in this setting is to provide medical assessment and diagnosis, respiratory and cardiovascular support, and infection control. Anesthesiologists also have the medical background to deal with many emergency situations. They provide airway management, cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation, advanced life support and pain control. As consultants, they play an active role in stabilizing and preparing the patient for emergency surgery. During cardiac laboratory procedures: In most institutions, anesthesiologists are available during cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures for emergency airway management or resuscitation if necessary. For diagnostic procedures and nonsurgical treatments: As medical technologies have advanced, so has the need for anesthesiologists to become involved in caring for patients during radiological imaging or scanning procedures, gastrointestinal endoscopies, in vitro fertilization, lithotripsy procedures, electroshock treatment, nutritional support and respiratory therapy. Research and Clinical Studies Some of the most significant strides in medicine and surgery have been directly attributed to anesthesiology's advances in patient monitoring, improved anesthetic agents and new drug therapy. Research at the clinical and basic science levels has been done almost exclusively by anesthesiologists or Ph.D. scientists with the goal of continually improving patient care and safety. Research is conducted in each of the subspecialties of pediatric, geriatric, obstetric, critical care, cardiovascular, neurosurgical and ambulatory anesthesia. Other areas of study include: blood transfusions and fluid therapy, infection control, difficult airway management, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, complications, new devices and methods of monitoring, pharmacology, pain therapy and organ transplant. Patient Safety Complications from anesthesia have declined dramatically over the last 25 years. Since 1970, the number of anesthesiologists has more than doubled and, at the same time and at virtually the same rate, patient outcomes have improved. In just the last decade, estimates for the number of deaths attributed to anesthesia have dropped 25-fold from 1 in 10,000 anesthetics to 1 in 250,000 today. All this has occurred during a time when the youngest of premature infants in neonatal units survives intricate, lifesaving procedures and 100-year-old patients undergo and recover from major surgeries that were once thought to be impossible. |
