Cardiovascular Anesthesia
Facing heart surgery and the accompanying anesthesia is daunting. At Winchester
Medical Center we have a dedicated cardiac team of highly-trained anesthesiologists
with broad experience in anesthesia for open-heart surgery, minimally
invasive cardiac surgery and procedures such as TAVRs.
Every patient is seen and examined by an anesthesiologist prior to surgery
to review important information and discuss the anesthetic plan. Every
effort is made to put patients and families at ease. Once in the operating
room, our priority is the safety and well-being of every patient we care
for. Every operating room is equipped for ultrasound-guided line placements.
We perform a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) for every patient undergoing
heart surgery with general anesthesia. This allows the team to evaluate
heart and valve function at any moment during the surgery.
Our anesthesiologists monitor every patient in close collaboration with
the surgical team. We provide what's called a “balanced anesthesia”
– a combination of sedatives, anesthetic gases, and intravenous
pain medications, depending on what is best and safest for the patient.
The anesthesiology team monitors and adjusts medications as needed to
raise or lower the blood pressure, stimulate the heart and control blood
glucose levels. Our anesthesiologists also administer blood transfusions
as needed.