The Out of Control, Out of Present, Out of Body Phenomena: Anesthesia
Count backwards, he whispers.
Suddenly, everything’s a blur.
My conscience is muddled,
yet incapable of worry.
The ensuing fog is quick;
I can’t make it to one.
floating, floating, gone.
♥ -p.o.martig
That stern physician in the photo is my unsung hero and husband, John, a DO Anesthesiologist licensed in the states of Washington, Michigan and Indiana. Before I met John I assumed all medical doctors were MD’s. Fortunately, there are also DO’s, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine , working in tandem with them. Keeping this in mind, I will attempt to define the differences between these two approaches to medicine and to shine a small beacon of light on the honorable profession of the surgical anesthesiologist.
The Training
A DO is a fully trained and licensed doctor who has graduated from an US osteopathic medical school. On average a DO will spend 300-500 extra hours in additional classes on the skeletal systems, manipulation and the interaction of a body with diseases, than a MD would have had to take. A MD has attended and graduated from a conventional allopathic medical school with emphasis on treating disease symptoms using remedies such as drugs or surgery. The major difference is the approach to the body. Osteopathic medicine regards the body as an integrated whole rather than focusing on specific symptoms as with allopathic medicine.
After medical school, both MD’s and DO’s must complete residency training on their unique chosen specialty. They both must pass the exact same licensing examination before they can treat patients and prescribe medications.
The Anesthesiologist: A Big Fish in A Small Bowl
An anesthesiologist is a physician trained in anesthesia and perioperative medicine. He or she has completed an accredited residency program in anesthesia, usually 4 years following medical school with an MD or DO license. An anesthesiologist is not to be confused with a nurse anesthetist, who undergoes specialty training but is not a doctor. You can compare a nurse anesthetist to a nurse practitioner in their respective fields. They help take the work load off the doctor but function in a lessor capacity.
An anesthesiologist provides medical care to patients in a myriad of situations. This includes, but not exclusive too, preoperative evaluation, consultation with surgical team, creation of a plan for the anesthesia programmed to fit each individual patient, airway management, intraoperative life support and provision of pain control, operative diagnostic stabilization and proper post-operative management of each patient. The anesthesiologist’s preparation of the patient for emergency surgery is mandatory and essential to its outcome. Because anesthesiologists are physicians, they are able to utilize their extensive knowledge of physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, anatomy, and pathology to help guide their acute decision-making.
The majority of anesthesiologists in the United States are board certified by a specialty medical board either through the ABA (American Board of Anesthesiologists) or the AOBA (American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiologists). Both boards are recognized by major insurance carriers in the United States as well as by all branches of the military. Board certification by the ABA involves both written and an oral examination. The AOBA requires the same exams plus a practical examination with examining physicians observing the applicant actually administering anesthetics in the operating room. Go DO’s!
His Operating Team
The surgical team is a fine tooth machine capable of providing care beginning with preoperative (prior to surgery) to perioperative (during surgery) and finally, postoperative (recovery) after surgery. Each specialist, surgeon, anesthesiologist or nurse has advanced training for his or her position at the surgical table and after surgery completion. It is a team with precise instructions and methodology. The crucial elements of surgery (surgical and operative procedure, pain control, patient safety and blood and wound control) each require individual expertise and high levels of coordination and concentration abilities.
His Equipment
Conclusion
Humor aside, the anesthesiologist literally keeps a patient alive during surgery. Without the Anesthesiologist and the medications he or she administrates, there would be no surgery. We would revert back to biting on a chunk of wood and a douse of liquor to help control the pain while someone cuts into us or maybe we could step up a notch and breathe the toxic complications from ether or its sister inhalants. Most of us would die under these circumstances.
We have to thank our lucky stars for medicine’s advancements, especially in anesthesia. We have to thank those men and women who are willing to go the 16 years of schooling and training to become Anesthesiologists, but most of all, we have to thank these brave and intelligent heroes who are willing to endure the stress and complications often accompanying a surgical procedure. Next time you come in contact with one of these fine physicians, give them a hand shake and let them know you appreciate the devotion and care they give during our challenges with the dark side of a healthy life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anesthesiologist
http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Who-Is-An-Anesthesiologist.aspx
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