By Ken Stewart, D.O.
The note read, “Everything went smoothly. ... We loved the teddy bear! Such a nice touch! We couldn’t be more pleased with our child’s surgery experience. Thank you!!” A simple teddy bear, provided by the perioperative staff, eased the child’s anxiety about the surgery, in turn easing her parent’s anxiety and natural instinct to defend. It’s now a matter of settled ... Continue Reading
By Stephen M. Anderson, M.D.
Regional anesthesia plays an important role in patient recovery. Opioid-sparing techniques show benefits including decreased length of stay (LOS), improved postoperative pulmonary function and decreased overall morbidity and mortality. This article will discuss indications for regional anesthesia for abdominal surgery, the techniques by which they are used, and the risks and ... Continue Reading
By Laura E Gilbertson, M.D., Milad Sharifpour, M.D., and Grant C Lynde, M.D. More than 75,000 pregnant patients undergo non-obstetric surgery in the United States each year. Fortunately, good preparation and planning can lead to good outcomes for both mother and child. Finding physicians and hospitals with experience in caring for parturients with comorbid conditions is ... Continue Reading
By Lydia Joseph, M.D. For many years, the sight of a screaming, crying child emerging from anesthesia was the hallmark of a successful anesthetic. A cranky child exhibited signs of a clear airway and adequate circulation, leading to discharge from the post anesthesia care unit. Pediatric post-surgical pain had been classically under appreciated and thus undertreated. Over ... Continue Reading
By Christopher W. Hackney, M.D. “Is this something new?” This is the most common question I am asked when discussing peripheral nerve blocks with patients. While various regional techniques have been employed for over a century, the widespread use of peripheral nerve blocks have become a relatively recent phenomenon in the field of anesthesia. At the end of the 19th ... Continue Reading
