The Anesthesiologist as Perioperative Leader

As surgical care increasingly shifts to ambulatory centers for minimal and moderate risk patients, the complexity of patient populations continues to increase in hospitals. As surgical care increasingly shifts to ambulatory centers for minimal and moderate risk patients, the complexity of patient populations continues to increase in hospitals. It is therefore critical for anesthesiologists to fully understand their role outside of direct patient care, to contribute in a positive manner to maximize perioperative efficiency and safety. This professional book guides both practicing and prospective anesthesiologists who wish to understand all of the various roles that perioperative physicians play outside of direct surgical time. This includes such aspects of patient care as preoperative optimization with protocols, implementation of rules and regulations guiding equipment and medication handling in the operating room, and management of postoperative pain services. Chapters offer an extensive discussion of the role of anesthesiologists/perioperative physicians in quality improvement and perioperative efficiency, reviewing critical topics like surgical site infections, surgical schedule optimization and interdisciplinary education. Timely and practical, this book demonstrates the important role anesthesiologists play as perioperative physicians improving bedsice patient care and value throughout the hospital.