Anesthesiology

Anesthesia can be used to:

• Relax you.
• Block pain.
• Make you sleepy or forgetful.
• Make you unconscious for your surgery.

Most anesthetics fall into one of two broad categories: general or local/regional. At Crisp Regional, we use all anesthesia types, including labor analgesia for childbirth, an epidural after surgery for pain management, and intravenous short-lasting anesthesia for procedures such as endoscopy or colonoscopy. We perform lumbar punctures and epidurals, emergency intubations, central line placements with ultrasound guidance, and support patient needs in the Emergency Department.

General anesthesia affects the entire body and is used when the patient needs to be unconscious. Major life-saving procedures such as open-heart surgery, brain surgery, or organ transplantation would not be possible without general anesthesia.

General anesthetics are delivered intravenously or breathed in as a gas. Intravenous anesthetics act quickly and disappear rapidly from the bloodstream so that patients can go home sooner after surgery. Inhaled anesthetics may take longer to wear off.

Local and regional anesthesia uses anesthetics to block pain in a part of the body, affecting only a small part of the body. Regional anesthetics affect a larger area, such as an epidural that numbs below the waist. Patients can remain conscious and comfortable during the procedure.

Anesthesiologists are specialized medical doctors (MDs) or doctors of osteopathy (DOs). They are primarily responsible for the safety and well-being of patients before, during, and after surgery. They administer anesthesia or supervise the administration of anesthesia for medical procedures and surgeries. Anesthesiologists are also available for consultation to manage numerous perioperative or critical care patient needs, including acute pain management, difficult or invasive vascular access, and emergency airway support.

A nurse anesthetist (certified registered nurse anesthetist or CRNA) is an advanced practice nurse with post-graduate education in the study of anesthesia. Upon completion of master’s or doctorate-level studies, nurse anesthetists must pass a national certification exam to become board-certified CRNAs. They collaborate with anesthesiologists to provide the best possible anesthesia care for our patients.