A:
Anesthesiology as a specialty has always included intraoperative management of patients,
critical care and pain management. Over the last decade, we have seen anesthesiologists
become perioperative physicians- managing patients preoperatively in clinics and
following patients to the floors with acute pain management. We are also contributing
greatly to operative management, health care economics and informatics.
Anesthesiologists have long been leaders in health care patient safety. The future is very
secure as the specialty is moving into areas other than managing surgical patients, and we
are very busy with this also!
In the United States, nurse anesthesia is well established in many parts of the country.
Most CRNA supervision practices exist as a “health care team” model with a MD
supervising several nurses. Many practices are solo but have nurses to see preops, give
breaks etc. The role of CRNAs is stable and complementary to MD anesthesiology. From
time to time, there are groups that want more autonomy and this is being addressed at a
regional and national level.