Your anesthesiologist makes sure your vital signs – blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and oxygen levels – are stable throughout the surgery. He or she also manages your level of consciousness and sleep during the procedure.

If you encounter a problem during surgery (blood loss, changes in blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, and many others), your anesthesiologist will work to correct the problem. Anesthesiologists at IMC are experts on developing the best way to approach anesthesia for your specific operation.

The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Management has made great strides in advancing anesthesia safety for orthopedic surgery patients. Based on your specific needs, your anesthesiologist will develop a comprehensive anesthetic plan before, during, and after surgery. Before surgery, please speak with your anesthesiologist about any concerns you have about anesthesia and pain management.

Common side effects include headache, pain at the injection site, and nausea and vomiting. Many of these risks are mitigated through our anesthetic approaches, more specifically regional anesthesia.

You will meet your anesthesiologist on the day of the operation before surgery. If you have any questions or concerns related to your anesthesia, you are welcome to contact the Department to arrange for a pre-anesthetic consultation. We always have an anesthesiologist on call to answer your pressing questions.

If you have any questions about your operation, you should contact your surgeon’s office.

Your anesthesiologist will be assigned to you the day before surgery. Many factors go into determining an anesthesiologist for each patient or procedure, but the most important consideration is matching our anesthesiologist’s specific clinical expertise with your medical history and procedure type.

While our expert staff is highly trained and an expert in his/her field, some have developed particular areas of interest and clinical expertise. For example, several anesthesiologists specialize in pediatric anesthesia and these physicians care for the vast majority of pediatric patients.

An anesthesia technician, often called an anesthesia tech, is a key member of the perioperative team. An anesthesia tech oversees and masters all of the anesthetic equipment the perioperative team uses – from ultrasound machines to monitors that display critical information about the progress of the procedure – and manages the safekeeping, maintenance, and troubleshooting of these technologies. An anesthesia tech is vital in improving anesthesia care by ensuring all of our cutting-edge technology, equipment, and instruments are up-to-date and working soundly.

While general anesthesia requires complete unconsciousness and the assistance of a machine for breathing, regional anesthesia techniques have several levels of sedation. Your surgeon and anesthesiologist determine the type of anesthesia and your level of sedation. In many cases, your anesthetic can be customized to meet your expectations. Many of the sedatives your anesthesiologist will use can cause amnesia, and although you may be awake and conversant during the procedure, you may have no recollection of these events later.

It is extremely rare to wake up during surgery under general anesthesia. Depending on the anesthetic technique and the amount and type of drugs that are administered by your anesthesiologists, you may be able to choose from being wide awake to fully asleep during your procedure.

Your anesthesiologist will do everything he or she can to keep you comfortable following surgery. You will be closely monitored by physicians, nurses, and other medical staff throughout your time in the recovery room to help ensure a safe and comfortable recovery.

After your procedure, you will be moved to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Once you are stable and/or awake, family visits may be allowed to visit for a short time. Your family will have to check with the nursing staff about the exact time frames allowed. Pediatric patients are permitted to see up to two parents or guardians upon arrival in the PACU. Ultimately, visitation is decided by the nursing staff in the PACU.

Like charges from your surgeon, your anesthesiologist’s fees are not included in your hospital bill. Many insurance plans cover our charges in full but some do not. While all of our physicians participate with Medicare and Medicaid, they may not participate with your specific insurance plan. To obtain information about your particular insurance plan, we recommend that you contact your insurer.

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