A physician who specializes in the care of the surgical patient before, during, and after a surgery. Education requires four years of college, four years of medical school, and four years of anesthesiology residency. Some subspecialize with further education in critical care, pain, cardiac or pediatric anesthesiology. This education provides the medical background and foundation to handle many emergency situations including airway management, cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation, advanced life support and pain control when necessary.

The anesthesiologist can provide sedation, general anesthesia and/or regional anesthesia depending on the patient's starting medical conditions and type of surgery or procedure the patient will undergo. He/she monitors the patient's vital signs and supports vital organ functions throughout the anesthetic.

The anesthesiologist is the medical physician taking care of you during surgery while the surgeon is operating.

My anesthesiologist did an amazing job since I do not even remember going into surgery!

by SleepSafe March 2, 2018

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Anesthesiologist

A physician (medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy) with advanced training in perioperative medicine and airway management who provides pre-operative management, intraoperative anesthesia, and post-operative care for surgical patients. Anesthesiologists are also trained in acute and chronic pain management as well as critical care, often attending to ICU management. Like other professions, anesthesiologists sometimes utilize extenders such as Anesthesiology Assistants (AAs) or nurse anesthetists in a care team to assist in intraoperative care of patients. Anesthesiologists are the champions of patient safety and well being not only in the operating room, but in other patient care settings as well.

My anesthesiologist is my favorite doctor; they kept me safe and comfortable during my operation AND made sure I was medically cleared for surgery and attended to my acute pain after my procedure.

by Patient Safety March 2, 2018

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Nurse anesthesiologist

A term not recognized or used by the medical community because it misrepresents work done by advance practice nurses. More appropriately called Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), they work under the guidance of a physician who is residency trained and possesses a medical degree - either an MD or DO. Anesthesiologists are physicians, medical doctors who have finished medical school and a rigorous residency training program to provide safe anesthesia care to patients. Nurses may also provide anesthesia, and those nurses have been known for decades as "nurse anesthetists". Recently, the nurse anesthetists have decided to call themselves nurse anesthesiologists in order to mislead and inflate a sense of self worth. The term is not recognized by the American Medical Association or American Osteopathic Association.

I wanted to grow up to become a nurse anesthesiologist but then I learned there was no such thing. I would need to become a medical doctor to be called an anesthesiologist.

by RealPhysicians2019 December 22, 2018

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