Anesthesia is safer, more effective
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Improvements in medications and technology have made anesthesia methods safer and more effective.
"Patient safety and comfort are our primary concerns," said Backus Medical Director of Perioperative Services Paul Pudimat, MD, an anesthesiologist on the Backus Medical Staff.
"We are able to customize anesthetics to each patient, based on the surgery and past medical history. Because of newer pharmaceutical agents and technological advances, along with advances in patient safety protocols, the risks of severe complications have greatly decreased in the past 20 years."
In all scheduled surgeries, a complete evaluation is made of the patient and their history and there is a discussion between the surgeon, an anesthesiologist and the patient to customize an anesthetic plan and postoperative pain management.
"Our anesthesiologists are always willing to make sure each patient has a full understanding of the anesthetic care they will receive during their procedure. It also offers an opportunity for the patient to ask questions and raise any concerns they may have," Dr. Pudimat said. "We use state-of-the-art monitoring in combination with advances in pharmacy that allows us to have patients more comfortable and recover more quickly than ever before."
"One of the top concerns patients have is whether people are aware but can't communicate," Dr. Pudimat said. "Our neurological monitoring allows us to provide greater reassurance than ever that those types of incidents won't occur. The brain wave monitor helps us more accurately judge the depth of anesthesia and monitor drug use throughout treatment."
The care may include pre-operative medications as well, to prevent side effects such as nausea, or to sedate or relax the patient.
"In the past, one type of anesthesia was used for everyone," he said. "Now multiple, targeted medications are used for specific effects, whether it is relaxation, pain control or sedation."
Through the use of targeted medications, patients overall respond better and have fewer side effects. Medications can be given intravenously to relieve pain, relax, induce sleepiness or induce unconsciousness. Newer agents act more quickly and are shorter-acting, so they clear the system quicker than in the past. Nerve blocks also can be provided, either by an injection or through a catheter.
The anesthesia care team approach at Backus often involves an anesthesiologist and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) working with a number of health care providers from the pre-admission process through the post-anesthesia phase of care to provide a smooth, safe transition from hospital to home.