We are arming Michigan citizens across the state with information that will improve overall safety and wellness before their anesthesia experience. Going under anesthesia can make any patient nervous, but the physicians responsible for maintaining your safety and wellbeing during anesthesia will help you rest easy.
Resources for You
To help patients and caregivers better prepare for anesthesia care, the following materials are provided for your information. If you have additional questions, we encourage you to ask your physician to learn more about your care.
We also encourage you to visit our Michigan physician anesthesiology site directly at www.mianesthesiologist.org.
Media Center
Anesthesia and You
Did you know that the state of Michigan has some of the highest rates of disease and illness in the nation? And that those medical conditions can cause greater risk and complication during anesthesia?
Common medical conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and heart disease, which are prevalent in Michigan, can have serious implications for patients requiring surgery and anesthesia.
Michigan’s growing population of senior citizens age 65 and older – more than half of whom will undergo at least one surgical procedure in their lifetime – are also at an increased risk for complications.
We want you to be informed about your anesthesia experience, to understand your risks and to know what to ask. Anesthesiologists are trained to understand, anticipate, and prepare for these risks so they can provide patients and their families with proper care and thorough consultations. Beyond four years of medical school, anesthesiologists have an additional four to five years of advanced training as an anesthesiology resident that allows them to work with patients to help prevent complications during surgery and make split-second decisions to save a patient’s life if complications would occur.
The practice of anesthesiology is broad and transcends the operating room where anesthesiologists are best known. Anesthesiologists make surgery a reality and their advancements are responsible for new surgeries, diagnostics and patient treatments in their specialty and beyond. Anesthesiologists help patients with chronic disease live better lives through pain medicine treatments for everyday. Their work in critical care units saves countless lives. Anesthesiologists treat patients with multiple complications from pulmonary and cardiac issues, along with manage infection control and advanced life support.
Get Involved
Reaching every patient in Michigan is our highest priority. If you are interested in sharing information or participating in our campaign, please call Jennifer Gremmels, ASA Public Relations Manager, at (847) 268-9128 or email communications@asahq.org to request our Partner Toolkit.