What is Anesthesia?
Anesthesia is the practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during and after surgery. Click here for more detailed information.

What is an Anesthesiologist?
An anesthesiologist is a Doctor of Medicine (M.D. or D.O.) who has completed four years of specialized traning in anesthesiology, after completion of four years of medical school. The anesthesiologists at WRAA are also Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. Your anesthesiologist is responsible for your anesthetic care throughout the peri-operative period. This includes preoperative evaluation, an anesthetic plan tailored to your surgery and existing health status, intraoperative direction of anesthetic care, and postoperative care in the PACU. In certain cases your anesthesiologist will also be responsible for you postoperative pain control once you leave the PACU. Your anesthesiologist works with your CRNA as part of your Anesthesia Care Team.

What is a CRNA?
A CRNA is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist who has earned an advanced practice degree in nursing and anesthesia by completing graduate-level education and training in anesthesiology. They are an integral part of the Anesthesia Care Team and work closely with your anesthesiologist to provide the highest level of care to you during your anesthetic experience.

What is an Anesthesia Care Team?
An Anesthesia Care Team includes your anesthesiologist and CRNA. We believe that this approach provides every patient with the optimal anesthetic experience as well as the highest standards of patient care. To learn more about the Anesthesia Care Team approach please visit our affiliate: The American Society of Anesthesiologists.

What should I expect from my anesthesia experience?
Your anesthesiologist will consult with you before your procedure. He will carefully tailor your anesthetic needs to your medical condition and requirements of your surgery. As you undergo your procedure, your anesthesia provider will monitor your breathing and vital signs while controlling your pain and level of unconsciousness to make conditions ideal for a safe and successful surgery. Your anesthesia provider will continue to assess your condition until you regain full consciousness. Click here for a more details about what to expect before, during and after your anesthesia experience.

Is Anesthesia Safe?
Anesthesia has never been safer. Over the last 25 years the number of anesthesiologists has more than doubled and at the same time, patient outcomes have improved. In the last decade, the number of deaths attributed to anesthesia have dropped from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 250,000 today.