Approaching the Perfect Anesthetic Experience

Abstract

Providing a pleasant, safe, and comfortable anesthetic experience is the goal of both the plastic surgeon and the anesthesia professional. As plastic surgeons, we are in the unique position of caring for patients who are for the most part healthy and desirous of elective procedures. Those patients expect good results both aesthetically and anesthetically. Patients will often volunteer information about the pleasant and the not-so-pleasant aspects of their anesthetic experience. Because I have administered intravenous sedation or observed the administration of general anesthesia on more than 20 thousand patients, I have received a lot of feedback. Using that feedback, we have prepared a checklist that helps us provide a high degree of patient satisfaction.