Anesthesiology at Summit Health is staffed with skilled, experienced, board-certified physician anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists. Our anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists ensure your safety and comfort when you have a procedure in the Ambulatory Surgery Center. Experts in state-of-the-art general anesthesia, local anesthesia, local anesthesia with sedation, and regional anesthesia options, our anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists provide the highest standard of care in a client-centered care team approach.
With immediate electronic access to your medical records, your anesthesia team can easily review your medical history and overall health. They will then partner with the lead surgeon and medical team who will perform your procedure. Together, your team will decide the type of anesthesia that is best for you.
What is an Anesthesiologist?
An anesthesiologist is a physician who administers medication (anesthesia) that makes you sleep during a surgical procedure. The purpose of anesthesia is to keep you from feeling pain during your surgery or procedure.
What is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist?
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice nurse who has extensive training and experience in the administration of various forms of anesthetics. The CRNA works with the Physician Anesthesiologist to provide a safe, effective, and quality anesthetic experience for you and your loved ones.
Types of Anesthesia: General Anesthesia, Local Anesthesia, and More...
The main types of anesthesia are general anesthesia, local anesthesia, local anesthesia with sedation, and regional anesthesia.
- General anesthesia relaxes your muscles, puts you to sleep, and prevents you from feeling pain. It also keeps you from remembering the operation. General anesthesia might be given intravenously (IV) or as a gas inhaled through a breathing mask or tube in your throat. Often, both a gas and IV medicines are given
- Local anesthesia numbs the part of your body where you will have the surgery. It is used for simple procedures such as sewing a cut or removing a skin growth
- Local anesthesia with sedation is used for patients who are having endoscopies, foot (podiatric) procedures, and other less extensive surgeries
- Regional anesthesia numbs a larger area of the body. It can be used for procedures that are more extensive than local anesthesia. Two types of regional anesthesia are spinal and epidural, both of which are given in the spine to numb the trunk and/or lower part of the body
Although spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia can be used for many operations below the navel, including rectal, bladder, leg, and prostate surgery, both these types of anesthesia are generally reserved for labor and delivery.
Your surgeon and anesthesia team will discuss the best anesthesia option for you based on your procedure.
