Anesthesia is a specialty recognized in both medicine and nursing. There are different types of anesthesia providers that may be working alone or as a team to administer and monitor your anesthesia including diagnosing and treating any medical problems that may occur during surgery or during the recovery period. Ask your surgeon for the name and phone number of the anesthesiology group and if possible, the specific individual(s) that will be recommending your anesthesia plan and administering and monitoring your anesthesia. Make sure that the anesthesia provider is associated with a local hospital in case of emergencies.

Anesthesiologists are physicians who learn the medical specialty of anesthesiology during an additional four years of post medical school training.

Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice nurses with specialized graduate-level education in anesthesiology. Most often they work under the direction of a physician, usually an anesthesiologist.

Anesthesia assistants are trained to administer anesthesia only under the direction of anesthesiologists.

May I choose my anesthesia provider(s)?
Anesthesia providers may work alone or be associated with hospitals and groups of other anesthesia providers and surgeons that serve hospitals, offices and surgical suites. In any surgery setting, find out how often the anesthesia providers take care of MH-susceptible families. Also ask the providers how the care of MH-susceptible families differs from that of other patients; for instance, what monitoring devices are used for MHS patients?

If you have a preference for a specific anesthesia provider, discuss your preference with the anesthesia department and the specific anesthesia provider as soon as the date of your surgery is scheduled. During your appointment, specify any medical problems and additional risks that need to be addressed because of your medical history.

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances, the anesthesia provider that was initially scheduled for your surgery may not be available. To ensure your safety, before and on the day of your surgery, make sure that you communicate critical information in your pre-anesthesia questionnaire to all medical personnel and anesthesia providers involved in your surgery.