You Have Questions
About Anesthesia. Start Here.
Take a 2-minute assessment and receive a personalized guide before your appointment.
The questions everyone
is afraid to ask.
These concerns are valid, common, and answerable. Each one has a clear response — and your anesthesiologist wants to discuss them with you.
"Will I wake up during surgery?"
Anesthesia awareness is extremely rare — occurring in roughly 1-2 per 1,000 cases — and your anesthesiologist continuously monitors your depth of sedation using multiple redundant systems throughout your procedure.
"Will I feel nauseous afterward?"
Post-operative nausea affects about 30% of patients, but your anesthesiologist can administer preventive anti-nausea medications before you even leave the OR. Tell us your history and we adjust the plan.
"Is anesthesia safe for my child?"
Pediatric anesthesia is a specialized field. Children receive weight-adjusted doses and are monitored with age-specific parameters. Millions of children safely undergo anesthesia every year.
"What if I have an allergic reaction?"
Severe allergic reactions to anesthetic agents are rare (1 in 10,000–20,000). Your medical history is reviewed in advance, and every operating room is equipped with emergency treatment protocols.
"Will I still feel pain?"
Pain management is the core of anesthesiology. Your team designs a multi-modal plan — often combining nerve blocks, local anesthetics, and IV medications — so you wake up comfortable, not just numb.
"How long until I feel like myself?"
Most patients are alert and oriented within 30–60 minutes of a general anesthetic. Full cognitive clarity typically returns within 24 hours. We'll give you a specific recovery timeline based on your procedure.
Your pre-op visit exists for exactly this. Bring this list. Your anesthesiologist will work through every concern before a single medication is prepared.
Four types.
One right fit.
Your anesthesiologist selects the safest, most comfortable approach for your specific procedure, health history, and concerns.
General Anesthesia
You are fully asleep — unaware, pain-free, and unable to move. Maintained by inhaled gases and/or IV medications. Used for major surgeries lasting more than an hour or involving the chest, abdomen, or brain.
Major surgery, cardiac, orthopedic, abdominal procedures
30–90 min in recovery room
General Anesthesia
You are fully asleep — unaware, pain-free, and unable to move. Maintained by inhaled gases and/or IV medications. Used for major surgeries lasting more than an hour or involving the chest, abdomen, or brain.
Regional Anesthesia
A nerve block or spinal/epidural injection numbs a specific part of your body. You remain awake or lightly sedated but feel nothing below the injection site. Widely used in childbirth and joint surgeries.
Sedation (MAC)
Monitored Anesthesia Care keeps you in a twilight state — calm, drowsy, and comfortable. You can still respond to verbal cues. Ideal for shorter, less invasive procedures where full unconsciousness isn't necessary.
Local Anesthesia
An injection of numbing medication (like lidocaine) at the exact site of the procedure. You are fully awake and alert. No systemic effects. Used for minor surface-level work.
Your team has done
this before.
Every person in that operating room is credentialed, focused, and communicating in real time. You are not alone.

Dr. Margaret Osei
16 yrsAttending Anesthesiologist
MD, FASA · Board Certified
Specialized in cardiac and pediatric anesthesia. Dr. Osei has guided over 8,000 patients through procedures ranging from 15-minute outpatient cases to 12-hour reconstructions.

Dr. James Thornton
11 yrsPain Management Specialist
MD, ABA Certified
Regional anesthesia and chronic pain specialist. Dr. Thornton developed the clinic's nerve-block protocol that has reduced post-op opioid use by 40% in orthopedic cases.

Priya Nair, CRNA
9 yrsCertified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
CRNA, MSN
Priya specializes in outpatient and ambulatory anesthesia. Her patient communication approach — explaining every step before it happens — is the foundation of our pre-op consultation model.
Find Your Anesthesia Guide
Five questions. Two minutes. A guide built around your procedure and your concerns — delivered before your appointment.
No spam. No sales calls. Just your guide — and silence.
Download the
Pre-Op Checklist.
A single-page reference covering what to eat, what to stop taking, what to bring, and what to tell your team — organized by days before surgery.
Get the checklist
One email. No follow-up unless you ask.