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  • Home
  • About
    • Accreditation
    • Ownership Disclosure
    • Patient forms
  • Services
  • Preparing for Surgery
    • Patient Information
    • The Day of Surgery
    • After Your Visit
    • Nondiscriminatory Policy
    • Confidentiality & Safety Rules
    • Patient Bill of Rights
    • Grievances
  • FAQ
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  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

How will I be billed?

The anesthesia services bill is separate from the surgical and hospital fee. Your insurance company will be directly billed for our services (if procedure is covered by insurance). In some cases the patient will never see the bill for our…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

Up to what time may I drink and eat prior to surgery?

Many studies done in the early 1990’s have shown that clear liquids empty rapidly from the stomach and need not be held for the usual eight hours prior to surgery. The current fluid and solid food policy is as follows:…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

Will I get medication to decrease anxiety, before surgery?

In house patients are commonly given a small dose of sedative prior to transport to the operating room suites, if appropriate. Outpatients or same day admission surgery patients can be given small intravenous doses of sedation in the preoperative area.…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

Do I have to have an i.v.?

An intravenous line is placed prior to surgery in all patients who receive anesthesia. The line is used during surgery to administer medications and fluids. The skin is numbed prior to placement to minimize discomfort.

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

Will I need a blood transfusion?

Given the possibility of infectious  transmission (hepatitis, AIDS, etc), blood products are given only if absolutely necessary. The decision to give blood is determined by many factors. A young healthy person is able to tolerate anemia (decreased blood counts) better…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

I have latex allergy. What precautions are taken?

It is important to inform your surgeon of this preoperatively. At Riverside we have a special cart stocked with latex free equipment. One important item is latex free surgical gloves. Latex allergy would be suggested by allergic symptoms (runny nose,…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

When do I wake up after a general?

The awakening process begins when the gases are discontinued at the conclusion of surgery. The time to full arousal will depend in part on the length of the procedure. Most patients can follow commands within 10 minutes and are fairly…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

Will I say anything embarrassing while sedated or asleep?

Patients become very drowsy under sedation and unconscious under general anesthesia. We never hear any sensitive information revealed.

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

How do you know how much anesthesia to give me?

Under general anesthesia we are guided by careful monitoring of your vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. Increases in the preceding signs would indicate light anesthesia and the dose would be increased. The careful balance…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
  • F.A.Q.’s Anesthesia Services

What anesthesia options are there for hand surgery?

The final choices would be a function of the procedure done. For example, a wrist fusion requiring hip bone graft would be best done under general anesthesia. Here is a list of the common techniques Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC). This…

  • Branko Pfeiffer
  • January 13, 2014
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