What is the role of an anesthesiologist in plastic surgery?

Next to your plastic surgeon, the most important member of the medical team will be the anesthesiologist. These individuals are also MDs. While there may be others on the medical team who are capable of administering anesthesia, the additional education, training, and experience of a board-certified anesthesiologist give the patient enormous protection. Of all the things that can go wrong in any surgery, anesthesia problems can be the most life threatening. The combination and type of anesthesia can be different for each patient, based on the specific type of procedure or procedures being done, age, and overall health.

The surgeon and anesthesiologist work in tandem to assure that there are no reactions to the anesthesia and that the patient is neither under- or overmedicated. This can be very tricky business, and many times adjustments must be made on the spot, especially if it appears there may be a problem or if the surgery lasts longer than predicted. These adjustments need the expertise and skill that only experience brings. A well-qualified anesthesiologist should be able to prevent "recall" of the surgery and to reduce incidence of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting with new medications such as Zofran.