Anesthesia Basics

What is an Anesthesiologist

An Anesthesiologist is a specialized physician (medical doctor) who is responsible for the perioperative care of a patient, meaning that they care for the patient before, during, and after surgery. Anesthesiologists evaluate patients before surgery; care for patients during surgery, including relieving pain and anxiety and maintaining important life functions; and providing pain relief and wellbeing after surgery. In simple terms, an Anesthesiologist makes sure you are safe and comfortable during surgery.

What is Anesthesia

Anesthesia includes many aspects to care for the wellbeing of patients during surgery. These include the following:

Analgesia—the relief of pain

Amnesia—the loss of memory of surgical events

Hypnosis—the loss of awareness of surgical events

Muscle relaxation—the loss of muscle tone to provide optimal conditions for surgery

Types of Anesthesia

There are three main types of Anesthesia. These include local, regional, and general anesthesia.

Local Anesthesia: This involves placing medication into the tissue to numb a specific local area.

Regional Anesthesia: This involves placing medication near a nerve or a group of nerves to numb a larger area, such as an entire arm, for longer periods of time. This includes spinal and epidural anesthesia, which involves placing medication in the back to make the lower body numb.

General Anesthesia: This involves providing medication through an IV (into the vein) and/or by gases to make the person completely unconscious (‘asleep’). Often a breathing device is used and may be placed in the patients mouth or trachea (windpipe) while the patient is unconscious.

If the patient is not totally asleep as in general anesthesia, the anesthesiologist may still provide medication so that the patient is relaxed during the procedure. Medication can also be given so that the patient may have no recollection of the procedure.

Common Myths:

Anesthesiologists are not there during the entire operation. FALSE

The anesthesiologist is with you during your entire procedure to be sure you are safe and comfortable. The Anesthesiologist is continually monitoring you with sophisticated equipment and adjusting your anesthesia accordingly.

Anesthesiologists are not doctors. FALSE

Anesthesiologists are Medical Doctors (MDs) who have specialized in Anesthesia, which takes four more years of specialty training after achieving a medical degree.

Common Anesthesia Questions:

What is the difference between a spinal and an epidural?

Both of these types of regional anesthetics provide analgesia (pain relief) by placing medication in a precise place in the back. A spinal is usually a single injection of medication into the sac that bathes the spinal cord. An epidural is usually the placement of a tiny tube next to the sac that bathes the spinal cord, through which medication can be placed. A spinal is often used to provide anesthesia for surgery, while an epidural is often used to provide pain relief after surgery or during labor.

Why can’t I eat before surgery?

It is important that the stomach is empty (no food or liquids) for surgery because when you are sedated by anesthesia there is a greater chance that stomach contents could be aspirated (breathed in).

Why are Anesthesiologists concerned with Herbal supplements?

It is important that you speak to your Anesthesiologist about any and all herbal supplements as if they were medication because many of them, like medications, can interact with other medication as well as how your body responds to surgery and/or anesthesia.

Should I talk to my Anesthesiologist about any recreational drugs, like pot?

Absolutely! Your Anesthesiologist only has your best interest in mind and wants to do everything possible to be sure you are safe and comfortable during your procedure, thus it is important to tell your anesthesiologist about any recreational drug use.

Posted on July 30, 2009

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