Ambulatory Anesthesia

The ambulatory surgical center at Tisch Hospital is a hospital-based outpatient unit with 10 operating rooms and its own recovery room. Approximately 7,000 ambulatory procedures are done each year. The environment allows the entire staff to concentrate on ambulatory patient needs with access to the full services of the Medical Center.

The responsibility of an ambulatory anesthesiologist includes ensuring the safety of a patient for a procedure in an outpatient setting. Initially, the anesthesiologist must determine if the procedure for a particular patient can be safely performed in an outpatient setting. Following appropriate assessment, the anesthesiologist will provide an anesthetic that is most conducive to a high level of safety as well as a smooth recovery, thereby allowing the patient to go home later that day. In the recovery room, the ambulatory anesthesiologist must ascertain the patient's readiness level to be released from the hospital. Moreover, it is important to determine which patients should remain and possibly be admitted for further diagnosis and treatment in the hospital.

Throughout the country, the presence of anesthesiologists in the ambulatory setting is becoming more commonplace and is gaining increasing popularity. The fast-paced nature and tremendous variety of cases in the ten operating room unit will allow ample opportunities to experience the type of environment increasingly prevalent in the community. The faculty team is also dedicated to ensuring an enriching and rewarding rotation.