Anesthesia Information
By Stephen Bell, M.D.
- What is Anesthesia?
- Your Anesthesia Care Team
- Types of Anesthesia
- Post-operative Nausea and Vomiting
- Post-operative Pain
- Anesthesia Safety and Monitoring
- Patient Responsibilities
- Discharge From the Facility
- Follow-up
What is Anesthesia?
Anesthesia is a procedure in which a patient is rendered insensitive to pain in a wide variety of ways prior to a surgical procedure. Anesthetics induce sleep, drowsiness or numbness so the patient will not feel pain during the procedure.
Your Anesthesia Care Team
At Surgical Care Affiliates surgery centers, both anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) provide anesthesia. Anesthesiologists are physicians who specialize in anesthesiology, while CRNAs are nurses who have received specialty training in anesthesia and have passed rigorous certification exams. Both provide high quality, safe anesthesia.Back to Top
Types of Anesthesia
The four main types of anesthesia include:
- General anesthesia
- Regional anesthesia
- Monitored anesthesia care
- Local anesthesia
With general anesthesia, you are completely asleep and unconscious with total loss of sensation.
In regional anesthesia, the anesthesiology provider injects you with an anesthetic to provide numbness or loss of pain or sensation to the area of the body requiring surgery. The injection is made near a cluster of nerves and is called a nerve block. The most common types are spinal, epidural or peripheral. You may remain awake and alert or be sedated.
If you are sedated during regional anesthesia, then you receive monitored anesthesia care, also known as MAC sedation or twilight sleep. Monitored anesthesia care involves the administration of drugs to produce sedation and analgesia (insensibility to pain without loss of consciousness). In addition, your surgeon will administer local anesthesia to the operative site.
Local anesthesia is an injection that provides numbness to a small area and is used primarily for minor surgery. It often is administered by the surgeon and does not require the presence of an anesthesiology provider.
Your anesthesia provider will explain these methods to you at length after your arrival at the surgery center. He or she will fully inform you of the advantages, side effects and possible complications of each.
The type of anesthesia you will receive is influenced by one or more of the following factors:
- The kind of surgery you are having
- Estimated length and site of the surgical procedure
- Your overall medical condition and health status
- Medications you currently take
- Your surgeon's preference
You will meet with your anesthesia provider prior to surgery and will have an opportunity to discuss your anesthesia options. Your anesthesia provider will determine which anesthesia method is appropriate for your surgery based on the above considerations. Depending upon the procedure you are undergoing, you may be able to participate in the decision-making and choose which method you prefer.
Post-operative Nausea and Vomiting
One of the most common patient concerns is "Will I be sick after my procedure?" Significant advances have been made in the treatment of post-op nausea and vomiting. For example, we now know that the site of surgery strongly correlates to the likelihood of developing nausea. In addition, effective drugs that help prevent post-op nausea have recently been introduced. Patients who are at high risk for developing nausea and vomiting will receive appropriate medication.
Post-operative Pain
The second most common patient concern is "Will I hurt after my procedure?" A variety of pain-relief methods are used at Surgical Care Affiliates surgery centers. Intravenous drugs such as morphine and Demerol are used, along with other pain relievers like anti-inflammatories (e.g., ibuprofen) and local anesthetics. In addition, nerve blocks are highly effective and may be available to you.
Anesthesia Safety and Monitoring
The same safety standards that apply to hospitals also apply to Surgical Care Affiliates surgery centers. Federal and state regulatory agencies, along with the American Society of Anesthesiologists, set anesthesia safety standards. In addition, many of our centers are accredited by The Joint Commission (JC) or by the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).
Patient Responsibilities
To help ensure your safety while undergoing your procedure, it is essential that you comply with the instructions given to you regarding food and drink. Typically, you are not to eat or drink anything, including water, after midnight the day of your surgery. This allows your stomach to be empty of food and reduce your chance of becoming sick.
Please bring a list of all over-the-counter and prescription medications you are taking and be sure to mention any herbal supplements, as well. Any medication can potentially interact with your anesthetic and cause problems if the anesthesiologist has not been made aware of them.
Drug allergies and problems with past anesthetics are especially important to convey to your anesthesiologist. Any sensitivity to latex also should be mentioned.
Discharge from the Facility
After you have recovered from your anesthesia, you will receive complete discharge instructions regarding the surgical procedure, anesthesia, food intake and range of activities allowed. It is especially important that someone is available to take you home; you are not permitted to drive yourself home after receiving any anesthesia.
Follow-up
Within 24-to-48 hours after discharge from the surgery center, you will receive a follow-up phone call regarding your health status, answer any questions about your care and post-procedure instructions, or discuss any problems you may have encountered. Any suggestions regarding improvement in patient care will be especially appreciated.