AMBULATORY ANESTHESIA
This information page has been prepared to help you and your family better understand outpatient anesthesia so that you may help make well-informed decisions about your care.
Ambulatory anesthesia is tailored to meet the needs of ambulatory surgery so you can go home soon after your procedure. Short-acting anesthetic drugs and specialized techniques as well as care specifically focused on your needs are used to make your experience safe and pleasant.
Because each patient is unique, your anesthesiologist will review and evaluate your health history before your procedure and discuss with you the most appropriate anesthetic plan. Your anesthesiologist will also discuss the risks and benefits associated with the different options.
Types of Anesthesia:
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General Anesthesia - This anesthetic choice produces temporary unconsciousness so that you will not feel, see or hear anything during the surgical procedure. The anesthetic medications are given to you through an intravenous line and/or by inhalation.
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Regional Anesthesia - This technique produces numbness with the injection of local anesthesia around nerves in a region of the body corresponding to the surgical procedure. Epidural or spinal blocks anesthetize the abdomen and lower extremities. With regional anesthesia, medications can be given that will make you comfortable, drowsy and blur your memory.
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Monitored anesthesia care - (MAC) With this approach, you usually receive pain medication and sedatives through your intravenous line from your anesthesia provider. The surgeon will also inject local anesthesia into the skin, which will provide additional pain control during and after the procedure. While you are sedated, your anesthesia provider will monitor your vital signs.
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Local anesthesia - The surgeon will inject local anesthetic to provide numbness at the surgical site. In this case, there may be no anesthesia team member with you.
Your anesthesiologist is responsible for your comfort and well being, as well as monitoring and managing any medical conditions that arise during your procedure. An anesthesia provider will be with you throughout the entire procedure.
We anticipate this brochure will help answer many of your questions, but it cannot answer them all. When you talk with your anesthesiologist please ask about any questions or concerns you may have.
To learn more about Anesthesia, you can visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists website by clicking on this link: http://www.asahq.org/patientEducation/ambulatoryAnes.pdf
