Anesthesia

Preventing Pain And Increasing Comfort

Anesthesia is medicine to prevent pain and increase comfort during surgery and other procedures. Prior to any use of this type of medicine, you’ll meet with our experienced anesthesia provider to discuss options, review risks and side-effects, and answer your questions.

Anesthesia We Offer?

General Anesthesia

General anesthesia is used for most types of surgeries, this type of anesthesia ensures that you’re completely asleep. It’s administered through an IV, face mask, or tube in your nose or throat.

Epidural & Spinal Anesthesia

Epidural and spinal anesthesia causes numbing from your abdomen to your feet and used primarily for childbirth, hernia repair, or removal of your appendix.

Peripheral Nerve Blocks

Peripheral nerve blocks are a type of regional anesthesia which causes numbing from your abdomen to your feet and used primarily for childbirth, hernia repair, or removal of your appendix.

Saddle Block or Caudal Anesthesia

Used to numb buttocks, inner thighs, hips, and the area between your legs. This type is usually administered for surgical treatment of hemorrhoids or episiotomy repair.

PACE Clinic

The Preoperative Assessment, Communication, and Education Clinic or PACE Clinic provides access to perioperative services where PACE Clinic staff evaluate and optimize your health before surgery.

Before you have surgery at Teton Valley Health Care (TVHC) Hospital, PACE Clinic staff will review your medical, surgical, and anesthesia histories, conduct a health screening, and educate you on how to prepare for, and recover from, your surgery.

Your PACE Clinic Visit includes information on:

  • Medical history including any severe diseases
  • Anesthesia history including complications
  • General health and fitness
  • Current medications
  • Surgical history
  • Vital signs
  • Allergies

Additional Tests

You may also need additional tests that can include blood tests (blood count, blood clotting studies, blood type and screening), a urine test (to exclude infections, which may need treatment before surgery), nasal swabs for MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), a type of bacteria which can cause troublesome wound infections, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to record the rate, rhythm and electrical activity of your heart.

Preparing for Your Surgery

Your PACE Clinic team will provide you with personalized information that you will need to know about your surgery, including what you can – or cannot – eat or drink before and after, the type of anesthesia that maybe administered, medications for pain relief, and your recovery process.

Before Surgery

A PACE Clinic nurse will contact you before your surgery. In addition, your Anesthesia Provider will discuss with you the possibility of a peripheral nerve block depending on the type of surgery.

It is important to note that anesthesia comes in many forms and will vary depending on your health and type of surgery you have scheduled.

1. General anesthesia renders you unconscious for the duration of your surgery either with an inhaled gas or intravenous drug. Your ability to breathe is impaired and an advanced airway device will be required in order for you to breathe normally. Your heart rate and blood pressure will be decreased and will be monitored closely and treated by your Anesthesia Provider.

2. Regional anesthesia typically involves a spinal, epidural, or peripheral nerve block and may be used as the primary type of anesthesia or for acute pain management during and after your surgery. You will experience a temporary loss of sensation and movement below the level of the injection. At the conclusion of your surgery, your surgeon will also infiltrate the surgical site with a local anesthetic solution to numb the affected area. Sometimes regional anesthesia is combined with general anesthesia depending on the type of surgery.

3. Monitored Anesthesia Care or MAC may be possible for your surgery. MAC may also be referred to as deep sedation or moderate sedation. During MAC, you will experience decreased consciousness. Your ability to breathe normally may be impaired and a simple airway device may be necessary. Your heart rate and blood pressure are usually maintained. During MAC, conversion to general anesthesia may be necessary.

After Surgery

Most surgeries require medication for pain relief to help you move and breathe, sleep better, recover faster, and return to your normal lifestyle. Some surgeries may also require your participation in occupational, physical, or speech therapy.

Going Home

You must have a responsible person take you home after surgery, and if not, your surgery will be canceled. Be sure to prepare your home for your recovery. You may need more help for the first 48 hours – or longer – from friends or family with meals, laundry, bathing, cleaning and care of small children.

Meet Our Providers

Rated among the top Anesthesia Specialists in Southeast Idaho, Director of Anesthesia Daniel P.W. Smith, DO and Taylor Nelson, CRNA bring the best in anesthesia and pain management during surgery.

Daniel P.W. Smith, DO is a Fellowship-Trained Interventional Pain Management Specialist and the Director of Anesthesia at Teton Valley Health. Dr. Smith specializes in treating all types of pain including: Abdominal Pain, Arm and Leg Pain, Arthritis Pain, Back Pain, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Diabetic Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia, Head Pain, Joint Pain, Neck Pain, Nerve Injuries, and more.

Taylor Nelson, CRNA is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Teton Valley Hospital. After working for three years as a registered nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at University Health Care in Salt Lake City, he attended and graduated in 2008 with a Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia (MSNA) from the Department of Nurse Anesthesia at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, still ranked first by U.S. News & World Report in nurse anesthesia.