Welcome! This website is intended to answer many questions you may have regarding anesthesia or the practice of anesthesiology.

WHAT IS ANESTHESIA?

By definition, anesthesia means the complete or partial loss of sensation, especially tactile sensibility, caused by disease or an anesthetic.  In general, the term anesthesia is used to describe a set of drugs that can be given to a patient such that the patient has little or no pain during surgery.  Some anesthetic drugs also prevent the patient from remembering the events surrounding the surgery.  Some people may refer to this as "going to sleep" for surgery. 

WHAT IS ANESTHESIOLOGY?

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Anesthesiology is the practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during, and after surgery.

WHO IS THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST?

An anesthesiologist is a doctor who has specialized knowledge and training in anesthesiology and pain relief.  This requires a four-year medical degree as well as four years of specialty training in anesthesiology (one year of internship and three years of residency).  Some anesthesiologists continue subspecialty training in areas such as critical care, pediatric anesthesiology, pain management, obstetric anesthesiology, neuroanesthesiology, and cardiothoracic anesthesiology.  Advanced, subspecialty training of this type is called fellowship training.

WHAT DOES THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST DO?

For a patient having surgery, the anesthesiologist medically evaluates the patient prior to surgery, determines any anesthetic concerns (for instance, diabetes or heart trouble), and determines the patient's individualized plan for anesthetic management.  The patient will meet the anesthesiologist before undergoing any type of anesthesia and can ask any questions at that time.

In the operating room, the anesthesiologist either administers anesthetic drugs or medically directs a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) or resident to administer anesthetic drugs.  Included as part of anesthetic care in the operating room are the following (adapted from the American Society of Anesthesiology):
1)   continual medical assessment of the patient,
2)   monitoring and control of the patient's heart rate and rhythm, breathing, blood pressure, temperature, and fluid balance, and
3)   control of the patient's pain and level of unconsciousness to make conditions ideal for a safe and successful surgery.

After surgery, the anesthesiologist monitors the patient's recovery from anesthesia; this usually takes place in the post-anesthetic care unit (PACU), also known as the recovery room.

Some anesthesiologists are pain specialists who may see patients in a clinic.  The Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at UT Southwestern Medical Center offers two different settings for pain management:  the Eugene McDermott Center for Pain Management and the Pain Management Clinic at Parkland Health and Hospital System.  Anesthesiologists working as pain specialists evaluate and treat acute and chronic pain syndromes.

Other anesthesiologists are known as critical care anesthesiologists, or intensivists.  These anesthesiologists provide patient care during a patient's admission to the intensive care unit, or "ICU." 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANESTHESIA?

There are three main types of anesthesia: general, regional, and local.

The Texas Society of Anesthesiologists provides the following description for each: With GENERAL anesthesia, you are unconscious and have no awareness of the surgical procedure or other sensations.  If you have REGIONAL anesthesia, your anesthesiologist injects medicine near a cluster of nerves to numb only the area of your body that requires surgery.  You may remain awake or you may be given a sedative.  For some surgical procedures, a LOCAL anesthetic may be injected into the skin and tissues to numb a specific location.

The type of anesthesia you receive will be determined by several factors, including the anesthesiologist's medical judgment (based on your medical condition), your preference, and the surgeon's preference.

_{Information on this page provided in part with the assistance of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists
and the American Society of Anesthesiologists}