Lack of understanding about anesthesia may lead patients to postpone surgery

Lack of understanding and apprehension about anesthesia may lead as many as one in four patients to postpone surgery according to the Vital Health Report, a quarterly health survey of Americans released today by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

More than 75 percent of Vital Health Report respondents expressed concern about the use of anesthesia during surgery, yet this fear of anesthesia does not match actual patient experiences. Over the past three decades, anesthesiologists have advanced the field of anesthesiology through improvements to patient safety, the care and comfort of patients before, during and after surgery and the development of innovations that have paved the way for modern medical procedures. As a result, anesthesia-related mortality rates have decreased dramatically over the past 25 years, from two deaths per 10,000 anesthetics administered to one death per 200,000 to 300,000 anesthetics administered.¹ To put this into perspective, a person is about 40 times more likely to be struck by lightning than they are to die from anesthesia-related complications.²

The Vital Health Report also found that there is a surprising lack of knowledge about anesthesia. Nearly 40 percent of Vital Health Report respondents incorrectly believe that being under general anesthesia is the same as being asleep, while 17 percent of those surveyed mistakenly think that general anesthesia numbs a small area of the body without altering a patient's awareness. In actuality, a patient is unconscious while under general anesthesia and has no awareness or other sensations.

"Patients can reduce their anxiety about anesthesia by learning about the procedure, by being aware of the risks that might lead to complications and by actively managing their Vital Health," said Kenneth Elmassian, D.O., ASA Board of Directors and President of the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists. "Our primary focus as physician anesthesiologists is the safety of our patients, which we maintain by managing their vital signs and pain levels before, during and after surgery, but it is equally important for our patients to be informed and in the best health possible prior to a procedure. The better a patient's Vital Health prior to undergoing surgery, the more likely the patient will have a better recovery and procedural outcome."

The ASA urges Americans to educate themselves about anesthesia and to maintain their Vital Health, not only by living a healthy lifestyle, but also by making sure they know the status of the underlying vital measures that ultimately define their health and impact wellness and positive medical outcomes. It's easy to take the first step by going to http://www.knowyourvitalhealth.com/ to learn more about anesthesia and to use the Know Your Vital Health Tool. The tool offers a series of health-related questions from which patients receive a customized, anonymous report of health and wellness information that can help them better understand their health status and anesthesia risks. The tool also offers health management and modification suggestions.

The ASA offers these tips to reassure patients prior to undergoing a procedure that requires anesthesia:

•Discuss your medical history and inform your anesthesiologist about the medications you are currently taking or have recently taken, including herbal remedies.
•Ask your anesthesiologist about the anesthesia that will be administered, the duration of the anesthesia and the associated risks for a person with your medical profile.
•Check the credentials of the physicians performing your procedure, including the anesthesiologist.
•Work to be in the best possible Vital Health prior to your procedure.