What to Expect
Our anesthesia providers will typically arrive approximately 30 (thirty) minutes prior to the first scheduled appointment of the day to set up medications, monitors, and equipment. On arrival, the anesthesia provider will perform a preoperative evaluation to ensure there have been no significant changes to medical status or history, and will perform a limited physical examination.
Once ready for treatment, the anesthesiologist will administer medication and notify the surgeon when treatment may safely begin.
Following the procedure, the patient will be recovered typically in a nearby location by the anesthesiologist and discharged as appropriate upon recovery.
Limitations
While our providers are well-trained and bring a substantial amount of equipment/monitors, not all treatments or patients are appropriate for the office setting. It is crucial that all pre-operative paperwork be completely filled out prior to the appointment to avoid delays or cancellations. Case acceptance is as provider discretion, and typically you can expect to see ASA I and ASA II patients in office.
Specific considerations which may contraindicate office treatment include, but are not limited to:
- Patient size: patient must fit in the dental chair/bench comfortable without hanging over
- Patient weight: morbidly obese patients with a BMI >30 are typically not candidates for OBA
- Cooperation: special needs adults who are highly aggressive likely require treatment at a hospital or surgery center
- Physical ability: patients must be able to ambulate to the treatment chair and lay flat without use of muscle relaxants or paralytics