Frequently Asked Questions

 Today, about 2 out of 10 surgeries are performed in a doctor’s office. 

Blood pressure, pulse rate, EKG, oxygen levels and CO2 levels are some of the important vital signs that the anesthesiologist monitors during your surgery. 

 We have the necessary emergency drugs, equipment and procedures in place to care for you in the rare event of a life-threatening complication. Anesthesiologists have the specialized medical training to anticipate and treat anesthesia-related complications. In rare instances, serious complications may require that you are transferred to a local hospital. 

Before surgery, an anesthesiologist will meet with you and evaluate your medical condition and formulate an anesthetic plan that is right for you.

During surgery, advanced technology is used to monitor your body's functions, and your anesthesiologist must interpret these sophisticated monitors in order to appropriately diagnose, regulate and treat your body while a personalized, delicate balance of anesthetic medications are administered. The anesthesiologist is responsible for the interpretation of the monitoring, making educated medical judgments concerning your responses.

After surgery, your anesthesiology team will monitor your vital signs and evaluate you until you are ready to leave. NO reversal drugs are needed for this form of anesthesia. 

The administration of anesthesia, even to patients with serious health problems, can generally be accomplished safely without major complications and only minor side effects. However, even when carefully and competently administered, serious and potentially life-threatening complications can and do very rarely occur.

During the last twenty years, improved understanding of how the body reacts to anesthesia and surgery, more sophisticated monitoring devices and better anesthetic agents have dramatically improved anesthetic safety. Anesthetic mortality, as high as 1:15,000 prior to 1980, is now less than 1:200,000 for patients in good health undergoing elective procedures.

The risk of anesthetic administration is determined by the patient’s health status, the nature of the surgical procedure and if the care is being provided electively or because of a surgical emergency. If you want to know more about the risk of anesthesia in your case, your anesthesiologist can make the best assessment during your pre-anesthetic evaluation.

Anesthetic risk can be reduced by providing complete information about your health to your anesthesiologist and by carefully following our fasting (also called “NPO” or “nothing by mouth”) guidelines and instructions regarding any medication you are taking on a regular basis.

An appropriate fasting period prior to elective procedures performed during anesthesia is essential for patient safety. The objective is to empty the stomach so the risk of inhaling stomach contents into the lungs is reduced. This is a serious potential complication called pulmonary aspiration and in severe cases can be fatal. In emergencies, special precautions are taken but elective surgery will be cancelled if the fasting instructions are not followed.

Fortunately, anesthesia complications are rare.  It is important for you to inform your anesthesiologist of any medications you are currently taking or may have taken in the past. When certain drugs are combined in the body, it could lead to possible drug reactions. Inform your anesthesiologist about any reaction you may have had during previous surgeries.

Any excessive drug or alcohol use may cause damage to vital organs such as the kidneys, liver or heart. This could affect your ability to tolerate anesthesia and is an important topic to discuss with your anesthesiologist.

Risks and complications may include, but not be limited to lung, heart, liver or neuro functioning. Unconscious state, depressed breathing, injury to blood vessels, injury to nose, mouth, throat, nausea, vomiting, pulmonary aspiration, and conversion to an alternative anesthesia method. A discussion of the risks and complications with your anesthesiologist is necessary for your informed consent.

 Some patients experience nausea after anesthesia and surgery. This may be related to the anesthetic, the surgical procedure itself or multiple other factors. If you have experienced this after a previous surgery or anesthetic, it is important that you tell your anesthesiologist so that appropriate medication can be given. If you experience motion sickness, inform your anesthesiologist. 

Most surgical anesthetics provide some relief of postoperative pain because narcotics (pain killers) are often given as part of the anesthetic. When you arrive in the recovery room, you may require more medication. If you experience pain, let your anesthesia staff know immediately.

 Yes. MAC performs your anesthetic with the same medications available in a hospital, appropriately equivalent monitors, and the same array of emergency medications in the extremely rare event of a concern. For appropriately chosen patients and procedures, studies are reflecting an overall complication rate essentially comparable to care provided in a surgery center. 

 OBA, performed by MAC, provides several significant benefits:

• Experience a higher level of comfort and convenience by having procedures performed in a place where you are already familiar
• Enjoy increased privacy by being cared for in your personal physician or dentist’s office
• Avoid a separate visit to your primary care physician for a history and physical prior to you or your child’s procedure. Our MAC physicians will accomplish that for you on your scheduled procedure date
• Individualized one-on-one anesthesia care provided by physician anesthesiologists
• Potential cost savings compared to surgeries performed at hospitals
• In an era where many patients express sentiments that healthcare encounters leave them feeling like they’re simply moving through rushed assembly-lines, MAC strives to provide genuine, individual attention and personal, concierge-style care

The most common side effects of having general anesthesia are nausea, vomiting, and a sore throat. Patients will not be discharged from our care until they have met our discharge criteria. Your anesthesia team will review discharge instructions and provide you with an information sheet to take home that includes the MAC phone number for any concerns that you may have. 

In general, you will receive a phone call from our team within the week preceding the procedure. If by chance you are not at home when this important phone call arrives, please make every effort to promptly return the call to SWPT at (480) 562-7232 as soon as possible. In order for us to provide safe and efficient care, it is vital that our team speak with you during the week prior to the procedure.

Our staff is available from 8 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday at (480) 562-7232 to assist with any problems or questions that may arise surrounding your care. If any patient encounters a serious concern before or after their procedure, we advise calling 911 immediately. During your procedure, the anesthesiologist is uniquely qualified to assess and manage any medical concerns and will initiate a transfer to an appropriate facility if necessary. This is an extraordinarily rare need in outpatient anesthesia. 

Many medicines CAN and SHOULD be taken while others should not. It is important to discuss this issue with your surgeon or anesthesia provider in order to prevent any adverse effects. DO NOT interrupt any medication unless you receive instructions to do so from your surgeon or anesthesia provider.