Anesthesia and You

You may find more information about anesthesia at the website for the American Society of Anesthesiologists, www.asahq.org

If you have any question or if you have concerns whether your anesthesiologist is a participant with your health plan, you may contact the Anesthesia Company LLC office at 410-280-2260.  

All of our AAMC anesthesiologists are board certified physicians. They are responsible for your safety and comfort during your surgery. They monitor and control your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and oxygen levels, and will help manage medical problems that may develop during your surgery.

Types of Anesthesia:
There are several types of anesthetic techniques available for your surgery, ranging from local anesthesia to general anesthesia. The anesthetic chosen will depend on several factors, including the surgical procedure you are having and your medical history.

• General Anesthesia. The majority of surgical cases will require general anesthesia so that the patient does not feel, hear or see anything during surgery. The anesthesiologist administers anesthetic medications through an intravenous line and/or through an anesthetic mask/breathing tube.
• Monitored Anesthesia Care. The anesthesiologist administers sedatives and pain medication to you through an intravenous line. This technique is also sometimes referred to as “twilight sleep.” You may experience various levels of consciousness with this technique.
• Local Anesthesia. The surgeon injects a local anesthetic to the surgical site to provide numbness.

Prior to Your Surgery
A nurse will gather medical information in advance of your surgery, which includes your  past experiences with anesthesia. The interview may be by telephone call or occur during a visit to the Pre Anesthesia Testing Center (P.A.T.).  You may ask questions or discuss concerns about anesthesia at that time. You also will receive instructions about what medications to take and guidelines for eating and drinking prior to surgery.

As a general rule, you should not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before your surgery. This also includes no chewing gum, hard candy of any sorts and ice chips.

IF YOU SMOKE, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM DOING SO, ESPECIALLY ON THE DAY OF SURGERY.  BECAUSE SMOKING RESTRICTS YOUR BLOOD FLOW, IT CAN MAKE YOUR RECOVERY MORE DIFFICULT AND CAUSE COMPLICATIONS AND DELAYS IN THE HEALING PROCESS.

The Day of Surgery
You will meet your anesthesiologist to discuss the appropriate anesthetic plan and the benefits and risks associated with each of the available techniques.

Care After the Surgery
After your surgery, your anesthesiologist will take you to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). This is often referred to as the Recovery Room. In this unit you will be closely monitored by specially trained nurses, and additional medications may also be given.

After your surgery, the amount of discomfort you experience will depend on a number of factors, especially the type of surgery. Your doctors and nurses can relieve your pain after the surgery with pain medicines given by mouth, intravenously or local anesthetic. Your discomfort should be tolerable, but do not expect to be totally pain-free. Nausea and vomiting are also possible side effects that can be related to your anesthesia, type of surgical procedure, or pain medications.