Frequently Asked Questions
Is my anesthesiologist
a physician?
When will I get to meet
my anesthesiologist?
Do I need to visit the
pre-anesthesia clinic?
Should I bring anything
with me to my appointment at the pre-anesthesia clinic?
Anesthesia Associates of Medford P.C. is a group of anesthesiologists all of whom have graduated from medical school and an accredited anesthesia residency program. Unless you specially request someone with whom you are already familiar, you will be cared for by the anesthesiologist assigned to your surgeon on the day of your surgery. Note that due to scheduling conflicts, not all requests can be honored.
Is my anesthesiologist a physician?
All members of our group are physician anesthesiologists. We are physicians who have specialized in the medical and anesthetic care of patients before, during, and after surgical or obstetrical procedures.
Anesthesiologists are trained to manage multiple, serious medical conditions of patients while they undergo major surgical operations, and to advise the surgeon in preparing such patients medically prior to the surgery. In addition, our specialty encompasses the management of pain, both the acute pain that can follow surgery or childbirth, as well as chronic pain conditions that can result from illness or injury.
In order to become an anesthesiologist, one must graduate from college and successfully complete four years of medical school. Then the physician must serve a four year period of internship and residency, a combination of theoretical school and hands-on apprenticeship where the trainee learns the science and craft of our specialty. After successful completion of this intensive training period, the graduate may submit to a rigorous set of written and oral examinations administered by experts in our field. If these examinations are successfully passed, the anesthesiologist becomes a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology--that is, he or she is board-certified in anesthesiology. Some members of our group have also received additional training in medicine, pediatrics, critical care, O.B. and cardiac anesthesia.
For more information about the medical specialty of anesthesiology and about its practitioners, anesthesiologists, please visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Board of Anesthesiology.
When will I get to meet my anesthesiologist?
Unless you are staying in the hospital the night before your surgery, you most likely will first meet your anesthesiologist on the day of surgery. We understand that you may have questions about your anesthesia and we therefore staff a pre-anesthesia clinic where we can obtain the details of your medical history, optimize your medical condition for surgery, and answer your questions. We wish that you could meet your anesthesiologist in person at this clinic but we are nearly always caring for another patient in the operating room when you arrive at the clinic and we cannot leave our current patients in order to come out and meet our future patients. Each afternoon, one member of our group has no patient care duties so that he or she can meet with patients in the clinic. Rest assured that he or she can pass on any special concerns that you may have to the anesthesiologist who will be caring for you during your surgery.
Do I need to visit the pre-anesthesia clinic?
While the specialty of anesthesia has been repeatedly singled out for leading the way in patient safety within the medical profession, we cannot provide you with the optimal care that you deserve without adequate information about you and your medical condition. We also need to make sure that you are in the best possible medical condition to tolerate surgery and anesthesia. For healthy patients a straightforward medical history and physical examination will help us to help determine the best choice of anesthetics for your specific circumstances. Often we will need to review specific aspects of your health that may affect your surgical course and may order tests or blood work if necessary to ensure your comfort and safety in the operating room and beyond. Unless you are instructed otherwise, keeping your appointment at the clinic will help us care for you and avoid unnecessary delays and cancellations. On the day of surgery, it is extremely important that you follow the instructions you have been given regarding fasting, taking your medications and your arrival time at the hospital or surgery center.
Should I bring anything with me to my appointment at the pre-anesthesia clinic?
Please bring a list of your current medications, previous surgeries and any known allergies. If available, please also bring documentation of previous significant test results especially those involving the heart and lungs.
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