What is an anesthesiologist?
An anesthesiologist is a physician with a medical degree (M.D.)
who is specially trained in the field of anesthesiology. The anesthesiologist
is a key member of the surgical team who is responsible for many
aspects of a patient's care at the time of surgery. These include
a preoperative medical evaluation, the choice of an appropriate
type of anesthesia, the support of life functions and alleviation
of pain while under anesthesia, and finally the awakening or emergence
of a comfortable patient at the end of surgery.
All anesthesiologists have graduated from 4 years of medical school and then completed a residency program of 4 years in anesthesiology. Some anesthesiologists choose to obtain further training, through a fellowship, in one of the many subspecialties of anesthesiology such as pediatrics, obstetrics, cardiac, neurosurgery, pain management or intensive care. PAS is proud to have members representing all of these subspecialties on its staff. Additionally all members of PAS are Board Certified by the The American Board of Anesthesiology.
Please see the The American Society of Anesthesiologists for additional information.
When will I meet my anesthesiologist?
You will meet your anesthesiologist on the day of surgery
in the preoperative holding area. Here, the anesthesiologist
will perform a medical evaluation and discuss the possible options
of general, regional,
or local anesthesia after considering your medical history, prior
anesthetics, and the type of surgery to be performed.
Does the anesthesiologist remain in the room during surgery?
Absolutely! The initiation of the anesthetic is just the
beginning of the anesthesiologists' job. The anesthesiologist
is responsible for the patient's overall well being during surgery,
from pain relief to the support of life functions, and remains
in the room monitoring the patient at all times. At the end of
surgery, the anesthesiologist transports the patient to the post
anesthesia care unit or recovery room where the patient will wake-up
or recover from their anesthetic. Specially trained nurses, in
conjunction with the anesthesiologist, oversee this period of
recovery prior to the patient being transferred to a hospital
room or discharged home.
Who is in charge of my postoperative pain relief?
In many cases, such as outpatient surgery, the surgeon will
give the patient a prescription for pain pills prior to discharge.
Patients remaining in the hospital overnight after their surgery
will often receive their pain medicine through an IV catheter.
This is commonly administered through a patient controlled analgesic
machine (PCA) that allows the patient to control how often they
receive pain relief medicine. The surgeon is usually responsible
for prescribing this type of pain medicine as well. In more complicated
or unique surgical procedures, the anesthesiologist may place
an epidural catheter or peripheral nerve block (see regional
anesthesia) and become involved as the major provider of postoperative
pain control.