Most of us may believe that surgical procedures in the present day are so easy to approach that anyone can do at anywhere and anytime. Reviews on social media and low-priced promotions are interesting enough. But, as a doctor, I would like all patients who want to undergo surgery to think and find a little more information on the matter of safety because a surgery surely involves risks. We have to put ourselves in the operating room so there are many factors to consider. Therefore, today, I would like to bring up the matter of a surgery, is it necessary to have an anesthesiologist involved? Let's hear out the clarification.
Who is an Anesthesiologist?
Anesthetist or anesthesiologist is a doctor specializing in anesthesia and general anesthesia. They often work in conjunction with a surgeon to anesthetize patient's pain before surgery. Those who can become an anesthesiologist must have completed a Doctor of Medicine degree first before studying anesthesiology which takes no less time to study than other medical-field personnel. For the anesthesiologist, it takes approximately 3 years to study and worked with nurses in the operating room. Nurses must also be trained in anesthesia before they can work with an anesthesiologist. Many times, there is news of deaths caused by cosmetic surgery. If we look closer, almost all of the cases did not have an anesthesiologist to administer their patients. An anesthesiologist is the head of any surgical procedure including cosmetic surgery and other surgeries but a patient seldom meets an anesthesiologist before operation, causing neglect of the importance of the anesthesiologist. The truth is that almost all patients do not even know the anesthesiologist who will take care of them during surgery.
What surgeries require an anesthesiologist?
Actually, every single surgery requires an anesthesiologist, especially surgery where a patient falls asleep and requires a ventilator during surgery, such as liposuction or breast augmentation, where a patient will not be breathing spontaneously during surgery. Patients need to be under the supervision of an anesthesiologist since a patient falls asleep until waking up.
In conclusion, all kinds of surgery, especially major ones such as breast augmentation, sexual reassignment surgery or tummy tuck must be performed by involving an anesthesiologist who will control the dosage and take care of patients in the event of an emergency. There must be life support equipment such as an endotracheal tube, etc. The anesthesiologist will take care of these matters during surgery until the surgery finishes. They also take care of heartbeat and pressure rates until a patient is confirmed safe. Sometimes, anesthesia intolerance has a chance to occur but if there is an anesthesiologist beside, the likelihood of patient's death is very slim because medical technology can save lives of patients even with drug allergy; this is for totally the safety of patients themselves.
