NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to raise awareness on a potentially harmful patient care issue, Somnia President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Marc E. Koch, MD, MBA speaks out on the importance of utilizing Anesthesiologists during office-based surgical procedures. As the trend of office-based surgery grows across the nation, many surgeons are taking it upon themselves to administer anesthesia to patients. According to a study published in the December issue of Dermatologic Surgery, some surgeries are safer when performed in doctors’ offices, rather than in ambulatory surgery centers or hospitals. The study also points out that complications and deaths from in-office procedures are most often the result of the type of anesthesia administered, not simply where the procedure was performed.
According to Koch, “this article is way off base and can do patients a serious disservice through the propagation of misleading information.” Koch goes on to assert,” it is not the type of anesthesia per se, but the person who is administering it ... that is the important take home message for patients.” Koch insists that patients should accept nothing less than a physician anesthesiologist, a medical doctor who has completed medical school and a three-year specialized residency in anesthesiology. “In a day and age when specialization is the medical mantra, downgrading the standard of care when it comes to office-based anesthesia seems curiously if not dangerously provocative,” Koch warns.
Koch’s concerns are not unwarranted. Recently, physician symposiums sponsored by the New York Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American College of Gastroenterology have taken a brazen, if not worrisome approach to anesthesia care. These organizations are encouraging their physicians to take on two simultaneous responsibilities and recommending that nurses and non-anesthesiologists, administer potent and powerful anesthetic medications -- at the same time they are performing colonoscopies. “These individuals are not anesthesiologists, and have not undergone advanced and formal training in anesthesiology. This clearly presents a significant risk towards patient safety,” said Koch.
In an editorial published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Dr. Koch points out the fact that propofol, in the hands of inexperienced or untrained medical personnel can be hazardous to patient safety. Many professionals are asking whether other medical specialties or nurses can perform the function of Anesthesiologists. “In short, the answer is NO,” said Koch, “Anesthesiologists are medical professionals, and have an obligation to ourselves and our profession to ensure that we are providing the utmost level of care to our patients.”
About Somnia:
Somnia, Inc. provides comprehensive anesthesia services to office-based surgical practices and ambulatory surgery centers throughout the United States. The company is a management service organization headquartered in New Rochelle, NY. Office-based surgery is one of the fastest growing areas in medicine. Improved technology and short-acting anesthetics have enabled less invasive surgeries to become more common and more conducive to an office setting. According to the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association (FASA), the overall volume of surgeries has increased dramatically in recent years, growing from 20 million to 40 million cases from 1981 to 1999, and is expected to surpass 50 million cases by 2006.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Marc E. Koch, MD, MBA
http://www.profnet.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=480401
Somnia, Inc.
CONTACT: Anthony J. Guglielmi, Dir. of Corporate Communications ofSomnia, Inc., Office - 1-877-476-6642, Pager - 1-877-405-5088
Web site: http://www.somniainc.com/