Riverside Associates in Anesthesia, P.C.

Riverside Associates in Anesthesia, P.C. offers the best care and service possible, around-the-clock, 365 days per year.

If you would like to request a particular anesthesiologist for your surgery, please tell your surgeon or call Riverside Associates. We will make every attempt to accommodate your wishes.

The Anesthesia Care Team Approach

Since its founding in 1956, Riverside Associates has had the reputation of delivering the highest quality anesthesia services for elective and emergency surgery.

The provision of high quality service at any time it may be needed was the main purpose for the establishment of Riverside Associates. This goal has been proudly accomplished for over forty years.

In 1980, Riverside Associates began using the Anesthesia Care Team Concept, as a means of providing each patient with the best coordinated care. This approach has allowed us to concentrate particular resources (personnel, equipment) wherever needed at any time.

The members of Riverside Associates in Anesthesia's Care Team include Anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthesists.

Anesthesiologists

Anesthesiologists are physicians who have had at least four years of specialized post graduate training after medial school. Their education consists of in-depth knowledge in the broad field of medicine which prepares them for their critical responsibilities in the operating room. Modern anesthesiologists are involved in post-operative recovery, intensive care, cardiac resuscitation, pain treatment and respiratory therapy. However, our primary role continues to be that of caring for our patient's needs during the surgical experience.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesists (CRNA's)

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesists (CRNA's) are registered nurses who have received additional special training and a degree in anesthesia as well as intensive care nursing. CRNA's have successfully passed a rigorous national exam and are fully certified. Under the personal supervision of the Anesthesiologists, the CRNA's administer anesthetic drugs, monitor your vital signs and regulate the anesthesia equipment used during your surgery.

Types of Anesthesia

The Three Broad categories of surgical anesthesia are:

General Anesthesia

The injection of medication into a vein to bring about a state of sleep. This may be followed by other intravenous medication and by agents you breathe in. Sometimes we assist your breathing by placing a tube in your windpipe while you are asleep to control your breathing and the delivery of anesthetic agents.

Regional Anesthesia

The injection of a medication around a nerve so that a specific part of your body becomes numb. Although you remain conscious, we can relax you by injecting medication into a vein. You may feel drowsy or even doze during the procedure. One type of regional anesthetic is a "spinal" anesthesia. In a "spinal" anesthesia, medication is injected into your spinal fluid to numb the surgical site.

Local Anesthesia

The injection of medication into the skin around the surgical site. The local anesthetic may be given by your surgeon. If a member of the Anesthesia Care Team is present in the operating room, it is because your surgeon has asked that one of us be there to assure your comfort and to monitor your vital signs throughout the entire surgical procedure.

The Pre-Operative Visit

Since anesthesia and surgery affect body functions, it is necessary for the Anesthesia Care Team to learn something about you. Each patient, and each anesthetic are different. We want to make the "perfect match". For this reason, a member of the Anesthesia Care Team will meet with you the morning of your surgery. During this visit your medical record and laboratory data are reviewed with you.

This is an excellent time for you to ask questions about your anesthetic and about our procedures. Please bring up anything that is puzzling or worrying you. If you prefer a certain type of anesthetic, for example, let us know. If possible, we will try to accommodate you. It is important that you feel comfortable about the choices being made. The members of the Anesthesia Care Team want your surgical experience to be as safe and comfortable as possible.

Choosing Your Anesthetic

Selecting the most appropriate anesthetic for you depends on a variety of things such as:

The type of operation to be performed
How long the operation is expected to last
Special requirements of the surgeon
Your condition and medical history, including any medicines you are taking
Your preferences

Before Your Surgery

It is very important that you do not eat any food or drink any liquids (including water) from midnight the night before your surgery unless you have received different instructions from your doctor. Also, unless your physician has indicated otherwise, be sure to take all medications prescribed with sips of water. (This is so that your stomach will be empty prior to the beginning of anesthesia.)
Write down and bring the name and dosage of each medication you are taking, or have taken in the past year.
We urge you to stop smoking cigarettes at least three weeks prior to surgery.
If you develop any acute infection (a cold, bronchitis, fever, the flu, or any other respiratory infection), be sure to notify your surgeon. He may want to postpone your surgery.

During Your Surgery

During your surgery, we monitor your vital signs. These include breathing, pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature and strength of your heart. We continually manage your entire environment and attend to your basic needs on a minute to minute basis.

After Your Surgery

When surgery is finished, you will probably be taken to the recovery room. This room, which is under the direction of a Staff Anesthesiologist, is where you remain monitored by the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nurses until you regain consciousness and are in a stable condition.

Side Effects

The development of knowledge, technology and medication have made modern anesthesia techniques very safe. In general, the healthier the patient, the lower the risk. The task of the Riverside Anesthesia Care Team is to use the safest form of anesthetic compatible with good surgical conditions, and we assure you that this is a task we take extremely seriously. Your safety is our number one priority.

There can be side effects from anesthesia. You may experience:

A sore throat for a day or two
Muscle aches and pains for 12-24 hours
Nausea and vomiting following surgery
Redness or sore spots on your face or jaw
A headache from a spinal anesthetic
Soreness in your mouth, dental irritation

Most of these are minor discomforts and resolve themselves. However, if any of these side effects continue for more than a few days, please call our office.

If you should have any questions please feel free to call Riverside Associates in Anesthesia at (607) 722-7264 on weekdays between 9am and 5pm. A member of our office staff will be pleased to assist you.