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The MEEI Anesthesia Department consists of 19 Anesthesiologists and 12 Certified Nurse Anesthetists providing anesthesia care for over 15,000 operations per year in 17 operating rooms.
Surgery is performed under general anesthesia (which renders the patient unconscious) or a local anesthesia (an injection of local anesthetic numbs the operated area) with sedation to allay anxiety. The anesthesiologist will evaluate medical conditions relative to the nature of the surgery to choose the most appropriate anesthetic technique.
A surgeon may schedule a special pre-admission anesthesia consult for patients with particularly complicated/acute medical problems that may need to be addressed before they can be safely anesthetized.
A surgeon may schedule an anesthesia consult by calling the Anesthesia Department at 617-573-3380, and explaining the occasion for the consult. After a pre-admission anesthesia consult, additional concerns may be dealt with over the telephone.
This process avoids delays or cancellation of surgery due to significant unresolved medical problems.
The Department of Anesthesia offers a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Basic Life Support certification and recertification education program to all hospital employees. Physician members act as chairmen of the CPR and respiratory care committees, coordinating these activities with in-house and external agencies and departments.
The MEEI Anesthesia Department is the second busiest pediatric anesthesia practice in Boston, providing over 4000 pediatric anesthetics per year.
Our staff is very familiar with the special needs of children facing a hospital experience that includes anesthesia and surgery. In conjunction with the Child Life Specialist Program we permit a parent to accompany their child into the OR during induction of anesthesia.
Our staff includes several anesthesiologists who have a special interest and training in Pediatric Anesthesia.
The Anesthesia Department is multi-lingual and committed to explaining anesthesia procedure to non-English speaking patients and their families, so they can pose questions comfortably and receive answers in their own language.
Anesthesiologists on staff are fluent in:
Interpreters for other languages are available within MEEI.
On the day of surgery patients are met and interviewed by an anesthesiologist who will review their medical history, llergies, previous anesthetic experience, pertinent physical exam, explain the anesthetic procedure, answer questions, obtain permissions, and prescribe appropriate sedation as indicated.
Surgeons are required to have a complete history and physical and appropriate lab work in the chart in the pre-admission area (Ms. Gail Langone ext. 3513) at least 48 hours before surgery.
To ensure safety and minimize vomiting and aspiration, patients must not have anything to eat (solids) the day of surgery.
Patients may take their usual pills with sips of water.
Adults, 13 years and up, may drink small quantities of clear liquids (only water, tea, apple juice, black coffee or black tea) until 3 hours before surgery.
Infants and children up to 12 years may have clear liquids up to 2 hours before surgery. Infants may have breast milk up to 4 hours before surgery and formula up to six hours before surgery.
A recent (within 6 months) EKG is required for all patients over the age of 50. Cardiac history may warrant more recent EKG(s) in younger patients.
Lab tests such as potassium, BUN, creatinine, blood sugar are not routinely required but should be done as indicated by the patient's medical condition e.g. diabetes, diuretics, digoxin, renal failure.
Click on name above to go to listing of current anesthesiolgy department medical staff.
All staff anesthesiologists have medical staff appointments at Harvard Medical School.
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