Frequently Asked Questions

Serious complications or death due to anesthesia have become exceptionally rare due to advances in medicine in technology. New medications, monitoring equipment, and anesthesiology training has helped make anesthesia up to 20 times safer than it was 50 years ago and the risk of death from anesthesia complications is thought to be at about one out of every 200,000 patients, with mortality primarily affecting older patients with significant health complications.

General anesthesia renders a patient completely unconscious, while regional and sedation anesthesia can be tailored for different levels of wakefulness and awareness.

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, only about one or two people out of a thousand become aware or conscious while under general anesthesia. The condition is referred to as “anesthesia awareness” and results in such patients being able to recall their surroundings or a specific event related to the procedure while under general anesthesia. While potentially upsetting, most patients who experience anesthesia awareness do not feel pain.

Many people who undergo general and regional anesthesia experience mild nausea after their procedure and those who need a breathing tube for general anesthesia usually get a sore throat. Local and regional anesthesia often leaves patients with mild soreness at the injection site. Some patients who undergo regional anesthesia may also experience a headache after their procedure. While most anesthesia effects wear off quickly, some people, especially elderly patients, may feel groggy and/or have impaired judgement for up to 24 hours after the surgery.

Pain after surgery is normal and your physician anesthesiologist and surgeon will do everything possible to limit its extent and make you comfortable as possible.

Ambulatory anesthesia is used for surgical procedures that do not require overnight hospital stays. Ambulatory anesthesia relies on the same general, regional, sedation, and local anesthetics used in traditional operating room settings.

An anesthesiologist is a licensed medical doctor who has received a medical degree in anesthesiology. An anesthetist is a registered nurse who has completed a training program in anesthesia and received certification by passing an exam.

Many insurance plans cover our charges in full, but some may not. You should contact your insurer to obtain more information about such coverage.