Services
Anesthesia
Anesthesia is the practice of administering medications to block pain and awareness during medical procedures. At Anesthesia Assoicates of Charleston (AAOC), our team of board-certified anesthesiologists diligently works with our peri-operative team to provide personalized, tailored care for our patients and surgeons. We strive to meet each patient’s unique needs using the latest technology and best available practices in anesthesia.
We offer a full range of services, and patients are encouraged to discuss preferences for the type of anesthesia to be used with their surgeons and anesthesiologists.
Types of Anesthesia
Sedation
Sedation is a form of anesthesia used to relax the patient during less invasive procedures. Sedation may be used during diagnostic procedures like endoscopy, or for smaller operative procedures in combination with local anesthesia. Local anesthesia, usually administered by the surgeon, will be administered to the operative site in conjunction with anesthesia-directed sedation to block pain signals from the surgical site.
Regional Anesthesia
Regional anesthesia blocks the nerves that supply pain/sensation to the general area of the operation. Regional anesthesia can also be used in combination with sedation or a general anesthetic to control pain after surgery.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia involves what many people refer to as being “put under.” The patient receives IV and inhaled anesthesia gases to render him or her unconscious for the duration of the procedure. General anesthesia is used for many types of major and minor surgery.
Acute Pain Management / Regional Anesthesia
At AAOC, a specialized group of physicians have additional training in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. Regional anesthesiologists perform nerve blocks which selectively inhibit nerves via injections that control pain, sensation, and motor movement to the operative site . These injections are administered under light sedation in the preoperative period to reduce patient pain, decrease narcotic and sedative usage, and improve patient outcomes and as well as the overall experience. Regional anesthesia is used predominantly in ambulatory and orthopedic surgery to control pain in individual limbs and joints. More recently, application of regional anesthesia has expanded to include nerve blocks targeting the chest and the abdominal wall as well.
Cardiac Anesthesia
AAOC utilizes a focused group of specialized anesthesiologists that provide cutting-edge cardiac anesthesia for a wide array of invasive and minimally invasive heart and vascular surgery including trans catheter aortic valve replacement, Watchman placement, and a variety of open heart surgeries. All of our cardiac anesthesiologists are trained and maintain certifications in trans-esophageal echocardiography and work closely with surgeons and cardiologists to cure a wide array of cardiovascular diseases.