Department of Anesthesiology

Department of Anesthesiology - Welcome to Our Program

Dear Visitor:

The members of the Department of Anesthesiology at The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville work together for a single purpose: to provide the best possible perioperative care for our patients. Our anesthesia care teams provide services for more than 18,312 surgical procedures in our operating rooms. In addition, we provide medical management for literally thousands of other patients in our intensive care units and satellite anesthetizing locations such as the obstetrical suites, the gastroenterology outpatient center, radiology department and the University of Tennessee Ambulatory Surgical Center.

In addition to providing the highest standard of anesthetic care for our patients, the Department of Anesthesiology is committed to the education of resident physicians, medical students and nurse anesthetists in the specialty of anesthesiology. We appreciate your interest in our website and encourage you to explore it at your leisure. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jerry L. Epps, MD
Chairman & Program Director

Weekly Didactics at a Glance:

DAY	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
DATE	May 5th	May 6th	May 7th	May 8th	May 9th
TIME	6:00 am	6:30 am	6:30 am	6:00 am	6:30 am
CONFERENCE	Didactics	Morning Report	Case Conference	Board Review	Resident Evaluations
LOCATION	OR Conference Room	OR Conf Rm	UT College of Pharmacy - Conference Room 2nd Floor	OR Conf Rm	OR Conf Rm
LECTURER	CA1-Dr.Epps (Intro to Pediatric Anesthesia) CA2-Dr. Chavez (TEE)		Dr. Jenkins	Dr. Pearson

T H E 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

PATI E N T AWARENESS

UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA

It is quite rare. When it does occur, it is often fleeting and not traumatic to the patient.
Patients experiencing awareness usually do not feel any pain. Some patients may experience a feeling of pressure.
Awareness can range from brief, hazy recollections to some specific awareness of your surroundings during surgery. Patients who dream during surgery, or who have some perception of their surroundings before or after surgery, may think they have experienced awareness. Such a sensation or memory does not necessarily represent actual awareness during surgery.
Experts in the field of anesthesiology are actively studying this condition and are seeking the most effective ways to prevent it.
Awareness can occur in high-risk surgeries such as trauma and cardiac surgery in which the patient's condition may not allow for a deep anesthetic to be given. In those instances, the anesthesia professional will weigh the potential for awareness against the need to guard the patient's life or safety. The same is true during a cesarean section, particularly if it is an emergency and a deep anesthetic is not best for the mother or child.
It has been shown that early counseling after an episode of awareness can help to lessen feelings of confusion, stress or trauma associated with the experience.
Researchers in anesthesiology have spearheaded developments in technology that have dramatically improved patient safety and comfort during surgery over the last 20 years. A highly trained anesthesia professional should be involved in your surgery. No technology can replace this expertise.
Brain-wave monitoring devices such as the BIS monitor (Aspect Medical) have been used routinely in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Tennessee Medical Center for many years. Many anesthesiologists believe that the consistent use of these devices is helpful in reducing the risk of awareness.
Patients should talk with their anesthesia professional before surgery to discuss all of their concerns, including the remote possibility of awareness. These professionals work to ensure the best possible care of patients in the operating room.

Please visit this link for additional information from the American Society of Anesthesiologists:

ASA Video Link





	Copyright ©2005 The University of Tennessee · Graduate School of Medicine · 865-544-9290 Contact the Webmaster. Please read our Internet Statement.