What is an anesthesiologist? What training is involved?
An anesthesiologist is a doctor (MD or DO) who practices anesthesia. Anesthesiologists are physicians specializing in perioperative care, development of an anesthetic plan, and the administration of anesthetics. He or she has finished college, then medical school (four years), then an internship (one year) followed by a residency in anesthesia (three years). Some anesthesiologists pursue additional years of training (a fellowship).
Who are the HSS anesthesiologists?
Please see our staff listing.
Most of the HSS anesthesiologists have completed fellowship in fields such as regional anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, critical care medicine, cardiothoracic anesthesia, chronic pain, and anesthesia research.
What do anesthesiologists do?
This may involve general anesthesia (“putting the patient to sleep”), sedation (intravenous medications to make the patient calm and/or unaware) or regional anesthesia (injections of local anesthetic near nerves to “numb up” the part of the body being operated on (i.e. nerve blocks or spinal/epidural injections)).
Many types of orthopedic operations are well suited to regional anesthesia, most often with sedation as well. HSS specializes in regional anesthesia.
Administration of anesthesia involves first talking with the patient to establish a plan for the anesthesia, as well as making sure that the patient is ready for the operation. The first priority is getting the patient safely through the procedure. If the patient is sick and could be made healthier, then the operation may be postponed or canceled (to allow “optimization” of the patient’s medical condition). This reduces the potential risk to which a patient may be exposed.
In addition to getting through the operation safely, the anesthesiologist tries to reduce pain after the operation. This may involve intravenous pain medications, but in many cases at HSS pain relief will involve placing local anesthetic near nerves.
At HSS, the anesthesiologists also run the recovery room (providing care for patients immediately after the surgery), see patients on the Acute Pain Service (so as to help manage the postoperative pain) and we also manage very ill patients who require critical care. Some anesthesiologists at HSS practice chronic pain management. Some HSS anesthesiologists also act as administrators for the Hospital and/or the Anesthesiology Department.
Why should you, as a patient, care about anesthesia?
Your anesthesiologist allows you to undergo surgery safely and comfortably. Anesthesiologists use specialized techniques during surgery to accomplish this. For example, the method of controlled lowering of the blood pressure during hip surgery reduces bleeding and the need for transfusions.
Good pain management is obviously desirable from the patients’ perspective. Good pain management also helps patients perform physical therapy and leads to better surgical outcomes after many orthopedic procedures. Good pain management may reduce the rate of heart attacks and other postoperative complications.
Can’t the anesthesiologist just do the injection (or put the patient to sleep) and then leave?
No. That would be unsafe. The anesthesiologist, or someone working with him or her (a resident, a fellow, or a nurse anesthetist) must remain with the patient. This is needed so that the patient status can be monitored (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, level of awareness during sedation), and changes made as needed (so as to prevent or manage major problems that could arise during the surgery).
An anesthesiologist is a doctor (MD or DO) who practices anesthesia. Anesthesiologists are physicians specializing in perioperative care, development of an anesthetic plan, and the administration of anesthetics. He or she has finished college, then medical school (four years), then an internship (one year) followed by a residency in anesthesia (three years). Some anesthesiologists pursue additional years of training (a fellowship).
Who are the HSS anesthesiologists?
Please see our staff listing.
Most of the HSS anesthesiologists have completed fellowship in fields such as regional anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, critical care medicine, cardiothoracic anesthesia, chronic pain, and anesthesia research.
What do anesthesiologists do?
This may involve general anesthesia (“putting the patient to sleep”), sedation (intravenous medications to make the patient calm and/or unaware) or regional anesthesia (injections of local anesthetic near nerves to “numb up” the part of the body being operated on (i.e. nerve blocks or spinal/epidural injections)).
Many types of orthopedic operations are well suited to regional anesthesia, most often with sedation as well. HSS specializes in regional anesthesia.
Administration of anesthesia involves first talking with the patient to establish a plan for the anesthesia, as well as making sure that the patient is ready for the operation. The first priority is getting the patient safely through the procedure. If the patient is sick and could be made healthier, then the operation may be postponed or canceled (to allow “optimization” of the patient’s medical condition). This reduces the potential risk to which a patient may be exposed.
In addition to getting through the operation safely, the anesthesiologist tries to reduce pain after the operation. This may involve intravenous pain medications, but in many cases at HSS pain relief will involve placing local anesthetic near nerves.
At HSS, the anesthesiologists also run the recovery room (providing care for patients immediately after the surgery), see patients on the Acute Pain Service (so as to help manage the postoperative pain) and we also manage very ill patients who require critical care. Some anesthesiologists at HSS practice chronic pain management. Some HSS anesthesiologists also act as administrators for the Hospital and/or the Anesthesiology Department.
Why should you, as a patient, care about anesthesia?
Your anesthesiologist allows you to undergo surgery safely and comfortably. Anesthesiologists use specialized techniques during surgery to accomplish this. For example, the method of controlled lowering of the blood pressure during hip surgery reduces bleeding and the need for transfusions.
Good pain management is obviously desirable from the patients’ perspective. Good pain management also helps patients perform physical therapy and leads to better surgical outcomes after many orthopedic procedures. Good pain management may reduce the rate of heart attacks and other postoperative complications.
Can’t the anesthesiologist just do the injection (or put the patient to sleep) and then leave?
No. That would be unsafe. The anesthesiologist, or someone working with him or her (a resident, a fellow, or a nurse anesthetist) must remain with the patient. This is needed so that the patient status can be monitored (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, level of awareness during sedation), and changes made as needed (so as to prevent or manage major problems that could arise during the surgery).
for more information please click here Dr. Mikhail Kogan
