Patient Care

We understand that the anticipation of surgery and anesthesia produces anxiety and many questions.  In providing a comprehensive preoperative evaluation and anesthetic plan of care, we hope to allay those fears and anxieties by addressing any questions you might have related to your anesthetic plan.  We encourage and welcome any questions you might have. And do not hesitate to ask your anesthesia care provider.

Intentionality

Four Corners Anesthesia providers will work with you to select and create an anesthetic plan specific to your needs to minimize those potential risks. Click here to view our team of highly skilled physicians and staff.

Pre-Operative Consultation

Four Corners Ambulatory Surgery Center and your surgeon provide Four Corners Anesthesia information pertinent to your care. That information is thoroughly reviewed by one of the anesthesia providers.  If information in the record or obtained by the nursing staff of one of the institutions during a telephone interview indicates any concern or risk, one of the anesthesia providers will call or arrange for a formal pre-anesthetic interview.  All patients are interviewed by their anesthesia provider the day of surgery to review information, answer any questions or concerns, and explain the anesthesia plan.  This is done to ensure patient knowledge, consent, and safety.

2.  Anesthesia

Anesthesia is provided utilizing one of several techniques, or a combination of techniques. These techniques include, yet are not limited to:

  • Conscious Sedation: Medication to alleviate anxiety yet with the patient awake.
  • Moderate to Deep-Sedation: Medications to induce states of altered awareness and responsiveness.
  • General Anesthesia: A state of unconsciousness induced or maintained by IV medications, inhaled gases, or a combination of medication plus gas.
  • Neuraxial Blocks: The most commonly known are spinal blocks or epidural.
  • Blocks: These are injections into the back that provide for either decreased pain (analgesia) or loss of sensation (anesthesia).

  1. Regional Blocks or Nerve Blocks: Either a single injection or the placement of a catheter through which local anesthetic can be administered that results in analgesia or anesthesia of a specific location;
  2. Local Anesthesia: The injection of a medication that causes numbness in a small defined area.

3.  Special Services:

Post Operative Services

  • Post-operative consultation for hospitalized patients is done on the day following surgery.  We want to ensure that everything is satisfactory. And should there be any issues or concerns, we want to address them immediately.
  • For those who have outpatient surgery, one of the nurses will be calling the day after surgery to learn if everything is as it should be and addressing any concerns or issues.
  • If there is need, a visit with an anesthesiologist will be arranged to care for any problems.
  • Hospitalized patients with chronic pain may be seen in consultation while in the hospital if requested by their attending physician.  The consultation may be in follow up or may be a first evaluation for the pain. Our goal is to address the specific patient needs in a manner that is personal and appropriate.