“I recently had surgery on my ankle. Because my church choir activities are extremely important to me, I was concerned when the surgeon mentioned that the procedure would be done under general anesthesia, as my friend recently had a sore throat and hoarseness for a couple of weeks after her surgery. You can’t imagine how relieved I was when my anesthesiologist presented the option of spinal anesthesia. The brochure that explained the block, along with its risks and benefits, clarified the upsides and downsides of my anesthesia choices. I was thrilled with the outcome of the spinal. Please thank my anesthesiologist for offering me this choice.”
Patients often have preferences for their medical care, including anesthesia options. Yet patients may feel vul-nerable when discussing their care plans with physicians, not speaking up out of fear of being labeled “difficult” or “demanding.” This situation may be exacerbated when discussing anesthesia plans...
