When you need to have surgery or other type of medical procedure, you can count on Emerson Hospital’s board-certified anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists to help you feel relaxed and pain free. Our aim is always to maximize your safety while minimizing discomfort.
Our anesthesiology team works closely with surgeons, obstetricians and other doctors to provide a full range of anesthesia options for surgeries, childbirth, endoscopy and other medical procedures for patients of all ages.
The types of anesthesia we offer
There are four types of anesthesia:
Local anesthesia
Your surgeon injects an anesthetic drug, such as lidocaine, into the tissue around the surgical site to numb that specific area and keep you pain-free during your procedure.
Local anesthesia with intravenous (IV) sedation
In addition to local anesthesia, you are given an IV sedative to help you relax. The amount of sedation can be adjusted; in most cases, a light sleep is induced, so you wake up quickly when your procedure is over.
Regional anesthesia
With regional anesthesia, an injection is made near the spine, or a cluster of nerves, to numb the region of your body that requires surgery. You will usually be given an IV sedative to induce a light sleep, and you will not see or feel surgery take place. Forms of regional anesthesia include an epidural or spinal (often used in childbirth), and a peripheral nerve block (often used for anesthesia and postoperative pain control in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures)
General anesthesia
With general anesthesia, you are unconscious and have no awareness of events occurring during surgery. Most frequently, inhaled and IV medications are used in a balanced combination. After you are asleep, an airway or breathing tube may be inserted into your windpipe to maintain proper breathing and oxygenation during surgery. Your anesthesia level is closely monitored and continuously adjusted based on your vital signs and other measures.
What type of anesthesia is best for you?
You, your doctor and your anesthesiologist will discuss and select the best anesthesia approach for the procedure you are having, based on several factors including your age and medical conditions.
What to expect
Before you go into the operating room, you will meet with your anesthesiologist to review your medical history and the anesthesia plan, and be asked to sign an informed consent form. An anesthesia provider will be with you from the time you are taken into the operating room until you are brought to the recovery room. When you are in recovery, your anesthesiologist will continue to receive information about your condition until you are discharged or taken to your hospital room.
Anesthesia during childbirth
A board-certified Anesthesiologist is available 24/7 to provide epidural anesthesia for pain relief during
labor and delivery, as well as anesthesia for C-sections and other obstetrical procedures.
Pediatric anesthesia
Emerson’s board-certified anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists work closely with surgeons, nurses and support personnel to provide the safest and best care for your child during surgical or other procedures. As a parent, we consider you to be an integral part of the team. Our anesthesia providers have been trained at leading medical centers. We have many years of experience in caring for pediatric patients and several of our staff are members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia.
Plus, our dedicated
Pediatric Intervention Team provides supportive services to put children and their families at ease
before, during and after surgery and other procedures.
Help your anesthesia team keep you safe
It is important that your anesthesiology team know as much as possible about your health history and medications—including non-prescription medications and supplements—before you have anesthesia. Be sure to provide complete information as part of the
pre-surgical testing process, and to follow instructions about your intake of food, drink and medications before surgery.
How to contact the Department of Anesthesia
An anesthesiologist is available at Emerson Hospital 24/7. On weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., please call
978-287-3162. Outside these hours, please call the Emerson Hospital switchboard at
978-369-1400, and ask the operator to page the anesthesiologist on call.
