Patient
Care and Information
Ambulatory surgical centers are used for
performing surgery on patients who do not require
hospitalization and who are not expected to require more than
a total of 23 hours for preparation, the surgery itself and
for recovery General anesthesia as well as local
anesthesia may be used.
Each facility must have at least one
fully-equipped operating room; an area for preparing patients;
x-ray equipment and clinical laboratory services and patient
recovery rooms. All
surgical centers must have a registered nurse on duty at all
times when patients are in the facility.
Anesthesia and Sedation
During
most procedures, patients are given different types of
anesthetics. These range from local anesthetics to general
anesthesia.
What
to Expect
Before your procedure, you will meet your anesthesiologist (if
applicable) and will be advised of your options and the risks
involved. At this time, you can ask any questions that you may
have regarding your anesthesia. You may be asked to sign a
consent for anesthesia, if applicable. For endoscopic
procedures (such as colonoscopies and upper endoscopies)
patients receive IV sedation that is administered by the
physician doing the procedure.
Types
of Anesthesia and Definitions
 | General
Anesthesia: There are two types of general anesthesia,
endotracheal and mask. In endotracheal anesthesia,
anesthetic and respiratory gases are passed through a tube
placed in the windpipe via the nose or mouth. In mask
anesthesia, gases are passed through a mask that covers
the nose, mouth and airway.
|
| Regional
Anesthesia: There are three types of regional
anesthetics, epidural, spinal and nerve blocks. In
epidurals, a small catheter is inserted into the epidural
(spinal) space so that anesthetizing agents may be given
to prolong the duration of anesthesia. In spinal
anesthesia, the anesthetic agent is injected into the
spinal subarachnoid space to produce loss of sensation. In
nerve blocks, local anesthetizing agents are injected into
specific areas to inhibit nerve transmission.
|
| Monitored
Anesthesia Care (MAC): This type of anesthesia
includes the monitoring of at least blood pressure,
oxygenation, pulse and mental state, with supplementing
sedation and analgesia supplied as needed by an
anesthesiologist.
|
| IV
Sedation: This type of sedation is similar to MAC
except that monitoring is done by the physician doing the
procedure and a registered nurse.
|
| Local
Anesthesia: Anesthetizing agents are injected or
infiltrated into a small area of the body, usually the
surgical site. Topical agents can also be applied on the
skin or mucous membranes. |
