Physician anesthesiologists’ key role to be highlighted on Oct. 16
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s physician anesthesiologists are at the forefront of the medical world. Since anesthesia was first successfully used in surgery more than 175 years ago, the field has evolved to include more than anesthetizing. Nowadays, it involves complex medical judgements, advanced procedures and lifesaving measures at critical moments. Today’s highly trained physician specialists — known as anesthesiologists — play a vital role in ensuring patient safety and pain management during routine, complex and life-saving emergency operations.
The procedures anesthesiologists may perform include placing breathing tubes for patients who can’t breathe on their own and deciding if and when they can be taken off a breathing machine. These physicians also place needles near critical nerves and the spinal cord to provide pain-free surgery and pain-free recovery. Other critical judgements, when seconds count, include what kinds of medications to give and when to discuss events with physician colleagues to provide the most expert care.
“Physician anesthesiologists are entrusted with caring for their patients when they are at their most vulnerable — a responsibility we take seriously,” said Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists (MSA) President Dr. Neeju Ravikant. “This Sunday, October 16, is World Anesthesia Day, when we take the time to recognize historical advancements in anesthesia and celebrate the life-saving work physician anesthesiologists and their care teams do each and every day.”
World Anesthesia Day celebrates one of the most significant events in the history of medicine — the first successful demonstration of diethyl ether anesthesia during surgery on October 16, 1846. This discovery changed the course of medicine forever, making it possible for patients to undergo surgery without the pain associated with it. Physician anesthesiologists have built upon that early innovation and are now the only professionals trained to diagnose a condition, choose a treatment and take full responsibility for that choice with patients, family members and other physicians.
Physician anesthesiologists are highly trained physicians who typically have at least 12 years of education and medical training. They have the medical judgment to diagnose and treat conditions before, during and after procedures and anesthetics, saving lives and keeping patients safe.
Every anesthetic — from light sedation to general anesthesia — carries significant risks and requires careful planning and proper administration, which is why it’s critical for a highly trained physician to lead the anesthesia care team.
“Physician anesthesiologists are trusted medical professionals who put their patients’ entire health course first, well before they arrive at the hospital, during and after their procedure is complete,” Ravikant said. “The MSA is proud of its member physicians who ensure Michiganders receive the highest quality care possible.”
Practicing in a wide variety of care settings across Michigan, physician anesthesiologists oversee care in many areas of the hospital as well as at freestanding surgery centers and inside doctor’s offices. They lead anesthesiology teams in operating rooms, labor and delivery units, intensive care units and units where patients receive colonoscopies, cardiac catheterization and other procedures. They also run most outpatient pain clinics in Michigan and across the country using individualized and multimodal approaches to pain care.
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