how is the anesthesiologist's work in surgery so very crucial?

Question

i've heard that in practically every surgery, the anesthesiologist's role is absolutely crucial and as important as that of the surgeon. why are they so important?

is a breathing tube ALWAYS put down your throat? i heard that no, it is not always done. why not?

Answer 1

We keep people ALIVE. That's the bottom line. We manage ventilation, fluid balance, hemodynamics and more. There are many surgeries that have only been made possible by advances in anesthesia.

No, breathing tubes are not always used. It depends on the procedure being done, the anesthesiologist and the patient.

If a breathing tube is not used, we might use an LMA (laryngeal mask airway) which is like a mask that sits in the back of the throat. Or we may just use a mask. (I actually do that a lot for my plastic surgery patients.) Sometimes, we might just give a little extra oxygen with nasal prongs.

Endotracheal intubation is not always necessary. The tube is a big stimulus, and can actually be more irritating to the patient than the actual surgery. It can make asthma worse. Smokers usually try to cough up a lung after having a breathing tube in.

I love using either a mask or LMA, keeping the patient breathing on his/her own, and titrating as much opiate in as I can, without causing apnea (no breathing). Then I get a comfortable patient at the end of surgery with no breathing issues.

Answer 2

The anesthesiologist work during surgery is is very crucial. While the surgeon does his/her work the operation on the physical aspect, the anesthesiologist maintains and monitors vital functions that determines life- particularly the heart and lungs functions.Securing a safe airway and maintaining adequate oxygen supply, and safe heart functions- are all laid in the anesthesiologist's hands.
If you are on general anesthesia in most circumstances,there will always be a tube inserted in the throat (a breathing tube called endotracheal tube,though there are cases that a laryngeal mask airway is used ). General anesthesia relaxes the natural reflexes that control the breathing,coughing and swallowing. The breathing tube will function as the safe passageway for your lungs to receive oxygen and anesthesia medications during your operation. Placing the breathing tube will also avoid aspiration.

Answer 3

The anesthesiologist is the Surgeon's assistant. They make sure that you are not allergic to the anesthesia, make sure your blood pressure, heart and lungs are normal before, during and after surgery. Many times, people are allergic to medications and could have severe reactions, even death if they are not checked properly. The tube is inserted down your throat to help you breathe during surgery. Some people do need the extra apparatus if they are older or have breathing problems already. It is sometimes done just as a precaution.

Answer 4

Well without one, you might wake up halfway through your surgery and freak out at seeing your body bleeding and cut open. Anesthesiologists are there to make sure that you are comfortably and safely sedated for the procedure. If they give the wrong dosage or don't give enough, you might wake up or move and in the process hurt or even kill yourself.

The breathing tube is mostly always down your throat just to be on the safe side. I had one down when I had lung surgery but I didn't have one down when I had knee surgery. I think it depends on the procedure and risk of you not being able to breathe and whether they would be able to intubate you fast enough if it weren't in place, to save your life if you quit breathing.

Answer 5

The anesthesialogist is responsible for making sure that your heart and lungs keep working! They are there to monitor the effectiveness of the anesthetic and keep everything balanced. They are specially trained to know about the different ways to put you to sleep and keep you from going too deep and having cardiac and respiratory failure. There is always either an anesthesiologist or a certified nurse anesthetist in the OR when you have surgery. They monitor your blood pressure, your heart rate, and your fluid intake and loss. You are usually intubated depending on the type of anesthisia and how long the surgery will be. It all depends on the circumstances.

Answer 6

Anesthesiologist's work is more than crucial in surgery. Without his survey to patients body reaction permanently, the surgeon and others involved people cannot work properly. I wish I do re command to choose highly good reputed anesthesiologist when you'll need surgeon intervention.

Answer 7

Well, anesthesia is important so you don't feel the surgeons gashing into your stomach and cracking your chest open and replacing your heart. I don't see how people can think that anesthesia is NOT important. You would be in so much pain that it would be crazy to try to do surgery with you flailing all around the operating room and you wouldn't be still enough for the surgeons to do their job.

Answer 8

The application of an anesthetic actually brings a person very close to death.
The control of the state of unconsciousness is very critical to maintain the proper state of relaxation.
Deaths do occur occasionally but the skill of the anesthesiologist is what keeps it to a minimum.

Answer 9

No, 4 years college and 4 years medical school and you're there. However, residency takes 4 years, and you get paid a minimal amount while working 60+ hour weeks.

Answer 10

because they are the ones who control if you are knocked out. if they screw up, they could put you under too strongly or they could not put you under all the way and then you could wake up in the middle of surgery. that's why they're important. some kinds of surgery require you to be awake however, such as C-sections (because being put under also affects the baby, which could be bad for it) or brain surgery (so they can test your reactions.)