As a member of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology, Dr. Schuman is well versed in the art and science of anesthesia. In order to maximize patient comfort, Dr. Schuman performs surgical extraction of wisdom teeth and many other surgeries under various forms of anesthesia:

• • Local anesthesia
• • Intravenous outpatient general anesthesia
• • Intravenous conscious sedation
• • Intravenous deep sedation

Dr. Schuman tailors his anesthetic technique to each individual patient, balancing the patient’s desires with his or her pre-existing health status.

Dr. Schuman provides an environment of optimal safety and utilizes modern monitoring equipment and staff who are experienced in anesthesia techniques.

What Is Anesthesia?

Anesthesia is a way to control pain during a surgery or procedure by using medicine called anesthetics. It can help control your breathing, blood pressure, blood flow, and heart rate and rhythm. It is generally produced by a combination of intravenous drugs.

Anesthesia may be used to:

• • Relax you
• • Block pain
• • Make you sleepy or forgetful
• • Make you unconscious for your surgery

Other medicines may be used along with anesthesia, such as ones to help you relax or to reverse the effects of anesthesia.

This allows patients to undergo surgery and other procedures without the distress and pain they would otherwise experience. An alternative definition is a "reversible lack of awareness," including a total lack of awareness (e.g. a general anesthetic).General anesthesia affects your whole body. You go to sleep and feel nothing. You have no memory of the procedure afterwards.

Types of Anesthesia

Most patients prefer not being awake during the surgical procedure.

• • General Anesthesia - administered by an injection of medication in the arm.You gently drift off to sleep and then awaken after the surgery has been completed feeling comfortable, relaxed, and with no discomfort.
  
  
• • I. V. Sedation- also administered by an injection in the arm. The difference is that you don’t fall asleep, but you will be extremely relaxed and will not remember or feel anything during the surgery.

With either type of the above anesthesias, we administer local anesthesia in the area of the surgery, so that when you awaken you will not have any pain.You then have time to take the pain medication and have it become effective before the numbing effects of the local anesthesia wears off.