Anesthesiology Center for Perioperative Medicine

Many patients will need to visit the Anesthesiology Center for Perioperative Medicine (ACPM) before a surgery or procedure requiring anesthesia. Surgery and anesthesia are not risk-free, and we want to be sure that your operation or procedure is as safe and as stress-free as possible.

Our ultimate goal is to ensure that you are as prepared as possible for your planned operation or procedure. We do this by giving you all the information that you may need, by improving the control of any medical conditions you may have, and by modifying some lifestyle risk factors. By doing this, together we can maximize the chances that you have a safe, smooth, and complication-free journey through surgery.

During either a Perioperative Anesthesia Medical Assessment (PAMA) or a Perioperative Anesthesia and Surgery Screening (PASS) visit, our team of trained Perioperative Medicine doctors and nurses will conduct a detailed interview with each patient. Based on the outcome of this interview, we will design the optimal anesthesia technique for each individual and decide upon the need of further investigations and consultations. If laboratory testing, ECG or other steps are needed, we will guide you through them.

Sometimes, you may need to see other doctors within different specialties to clarify potential problems or to treat medical conditions.

A trained nurse will provide all the information needed about how to get ready for the operation or procedure and what to expect before, during and afterwards.

If your surgery is a major one or if you have significant medical problems, an anesthesiologist with additional training in preparing patients for surgery will discuss anesthetic options, pain management after the operation and the overall risks. You will have the opportunity to discuss any aspect of your treatment which may not be completely clear with your anesthesiologist. If you have questions about the surgery itself, these should be discussed with your surgeon.

On some occasions, a second visit with the ACPM team may be needed before final decisions are made. We coordinate the process of preparation for surgery and anesthesia and will ensure all members of the team are fully aware of your specific needs.