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Ambulatory
Anesthesia
/ Before Surgery / During
Surgery / After Surgery
Frequently
asked questions regarding Ambulatory Anesthesia
Sea
H. Lee M.D.
Medical Director & Anesthesiologist
Let
me take this opportunity to welcome you to Hernando Endoscopy
& Surgery Center. Our primary goal is to provide the best
care for you. If you have any questions or concerns please
feel free to contact any of our staff members for assistance.
Anesthesia
for Ambulatory Surgery
Ambulatory
anesthesia and surgical care has been proven to be safe, convenient
and cost-effective, and can be performed in a variety of facilities.
You may have your procedure performed in a freestanding surgery
center or, in some cases, in a surgeon's office.
 What
is ambulatory anesthesia?
 Ambulatory
anesthesia is tailored to meet the needs of ambulatory surgery
so you can go home soon after your operation. Short-acting
anesthetic drugs and specialized anesthetic techniques as
well as care specifically focused to the needs of the ambulatory
patient are used to make your experience safe and pleasant.
In general, if you are in reasonably good health, you are
a candidate for ambulatory anesthesia and surgery. Because
each patient is unique, your anesthesiologist will carefully
evaluate you and your health status to determine if you should
undergo ambulatory anesthesia.
After your early recovery from anesthesia, you usually will
return directly home. Patients do well with the assistance
of their family or friends. If you do not have family members
to help at home, you may require additional assistance.
How
will I meet my anesthesiologist?
Your
anesthesiologist or an associate will interview you before
your anesthesia to gather the information needed to evaluate
your general health. This interview may be a telephone call,
a visit to the facility or a visit in the office. Laboratory
tests may be ordered, and other medical, surgical and anesthetic
records will be reviewed. You may be asked to fill out a questionnaire
about your previous anesthetic experiences and medical conditions,
medications and allergies you may have. If you have particular
concerns, you should discuss them with the anesthesiologist
or Pre-Admission Nurse.
What
types of anesthesia are available?
Decisions
regarding your anesthesia are tailored specifically for you.
The type of anesthesia you receive depends on your general
health and the type of surgical procedure as well as your
preferences, when possible. Based on the information your
anesthesiologist has gathered from your records and pre-anesthesia
visit, potential choices for your anesthetic care will be
evaluated.
There
are four main types of anesthesia from which to choose:
- General
anesthesia provides loss of consciousness and
loss of sensation.
- Regional
anesthesia involves the injection of a local
anesthetic to provide numbness, loss of pain or loss of
sensation to a large region of the body. Regional anesthetic
techniques include spinal blocks, epidural blocks and arm
and leg blocks. Medications can be given that will make
you comfortable, drowsy and blur your memory.
- Monitored
anesthesia care consists of medications to make
you drowsy and to relieve pain. These medications supplement
local anesthetic injections, which are often given by your
surgeon. While you are sedated, your anesthesiologist will
monitor your vital body functions.
- Local
anesthesia,
which provides numbness to a small area, is often injected
by your surgeon. In this case, there may be no anesthesia
team member with you. Occasionally it is not possible to
keep you comfortable with regional monitored or local anesthesia,
and general anesthesia may be needed. Although uncommon,
complications or side effects can occur with each anesthetic
option even though you are monitored carefully and your
anesthesiologist takes special precautions to avoid them.
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