Anesthesiologists Are Irreplaceable in Surgery

  • Keep patients safe.
  • Reduce the risk of complications.
  • Protect your hospital’s reputation and quality of care.

Removing anesthesiologists from the operating room lowers the standard of care and places patients and your hospital at great risk — without saving money. No one can match an anesthesiologist’s expertise in leading the Anesthesia Care Team, ensuring patient safety, and taking charge in emergencies. That’s why surgeons and patients overwhelmingly say they want an anesthesiologist with them in the operating room.

The presence of an anesthesiologist prevented 6.9 excess deaths per 1,000 cases in which an anesthesia-related or surgical complication occurred.

Independent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Anesthesiology®

Patients and Surgeons Prefer Anesthesiologist Care

  • 9 in 10 patients want an anesthesiologist by their side to keep them safe in surgery.
  • 9 in 10 surgeons believe anesthesiologists are the best qualified to respond to complications and emergencies in the operating room.
  • The majority of surgeons and patients think anesthesiologists are the most important guardians of patient safety during surgery.

Source: Independent survey conducted by PSB for ASA

Unmatched Expertise Reduces Patient and Hospital Risks

As medical doctors, anesthesiologists are among the most highly educated and trained physicians in any hospital. In surgery, they are uniquely qualified to lead the Anesthesia Care Team, ensure patient safety, and respond to emergencies. The training and expertise of nurse anesthetists cannot compare.

Anesthesiologists complete:

  • 12 to 14 years of postsecondary education, including medical school. That’s twice the education that nurse anesthetists complete.
  • 12,000 to 16,000 hours of clinical training. That’s at least five times the hours of training that nurse anesthetists receive.
  • At least four months of concentrated work in intensive care units.
  • Training to develop expertise in a subspecialty, such as pediatric surgery, labor and delivery, pain management, critical care, neurosurgery, or cardiac surgery.

Leadership in Perioperative Care Helps Manage Hospital Costs

Anesthesiologists are highly educated and trained to work with patients before, during, and after surgery to evaluate their overall health, identify and account for underlying medical conditions, manage postoperative pain, and plan for and supervise their recovery.

The anesthesiologist’s involvement in perioperative care helps manage costs by reducing unnecessary testing, same-day cancellations, operating room emergencies, and the surgical complications that can impede patients’ recovery and extend their hospital stays.

Unique Skills Empower Pandemic Response

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in 2020, anesthesiologists quickly pivoted to treating COVID-19 patients in intensive care. They were uniquely prepared for the moment — with education, training, and expertise in pulmonary physiology, critical care medicine, ventilation strategies, resuscitation, intubation, and pain management. Many of them voluntarily traveled to hard-hit areas of the country to lend their expertise, even though procedures like intubation put them within inches of a patient’s mouth and at very high risk for infection.‍

The Expertise of Anesthesiologists on Display

“You’re basically right next to the nuclear reactor.”
The Washington Post, April 5, 2020

“For Hospice Physician, Patient Care Means Walking ‘The Path With Them.'”
NPR, June 26, 2020

“Long Island anesthesiologist turned coronavirus first responder in the pandemic’s epicenter describes patients’ heartbreaking fear as one asked: ‘Am I going to die?’”
Daily Mail, May 28, 2020

“The Country Won’t Work Without Them. 12 Stories of People Putting Their Lives on the Line to Help Others During Coronavirus.”
Time, April 9, 2020

Meet with the chief of your anesthesiology department to discuss keeping anesthesiologists in surgery.