Lakeland / Florida / United States
"Never treat a stranger" The slogan was the title of a recent anethesia seminar I attended. It has also been the lifetime guiding principle for my oral surgery practice. In my office, lengthy & more complicated cases that require general anesthesia are carefully planned in a "get acquainted" appointment that precedes the patients date of surgery. In the appointment, we take a thorough health history, obtain baseline health statistics, plan the necessary surgery, discuss the surgical treatment and recovery time, review the financial costs and set the date and time of the surgery. Knowledge is power, and when a patient is fully informed of how their surgery can be safely provided-they are properly dressed, have thorough dietary instructions, are offered calming pre-medication, hand have obtained their prescriptions and supplies-they come to surgery informed and relaxed. So whether my patient is a lovely nurse with jus a hint of Haitian accent who has dedicated 25 years of her life to the compassionate care of patients, or a fragile, frightened, beautiful little blond child who has been depicted as "untreatable," - a loving introduction to what we are going to do and how we are going to do it can remove fear and allow for a successful and tranquil surgical experience. That is, and always has been our goal
