Before the Scalpel: What Everyone Should Know About Anesthesia

Before the Scalpel: What Everyone Should Know about Anesthesia is the consumer's guide to understanding the risks and choices involved whenever someone will receive anesthesia for a medical procedure. This reader-friendly book demystifies the issues surrounding anesthesia and its uses-including for cosmetic surgery, childbirth, and dental procedures.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Zdravka Zafirova, MD(University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine)
Description:This is a concise and informative guide to anesthesia and surgery for the lay public.
Purpose:The book provides an overview of the principles of perioperative care, helping to demystify the anesthetic process and educate patients.
Audience:It is written by an expert anesthesiologist who presents the information in a simple format for the general public.
Features:The first chapters introduce the anesthesia team and specific anesthetic techniques. The next part describes in detail the perioperative stages, operating room setup, monitoring used, and recovery concerns. The third part focuses on issues related to specific surgical procedures and patient characteristics. The book concludes with a review of anesthesia history, references to medications used in anesthesia, and a glossary of relevant terms. The medical topics are explained in easy to understand language. Good quality illustrations complement the text descriptions well. The alert icons and text boxes highlighted in blue draw attention to important practical issues. The checklists at the end of each chapter help patients in preparing for the procedure and in their communication with health professionals.
Assessment:This is a unique and timely book on anesthesia and perioperative care for the general public. It is an excellent aid for the consumer who wants to understand the anesthetic process and make informed decisions about anticipated surgical procedures.

Author Panchali Dhar, MD, speaks in straightforward language and uses photos, illustrations, and examples to explain how an anesthesia team is with you through every step of surgery. She helps you ask the most important questions of your anesthesiologist and surgeon and explains what you can do to allay fears of wakefulness and pain.