04 wint anes alum single pgs - Department of Anesthesiology - Duke ...

DUKE ANESTHESIOLOGY ALUMNUS | 6
with the patient in the operative period and
also in the post-operative period.” In a bigger
environment such as Duke North, said Dr. Scott,
the patient-anesthesiologist communication
tends to be less individual. Patients, she added,
often do not know their anesthesiologist well,
prior to surgery. “It is very rewarding for the
patients to know who I am and what anesthesiologists
do. I know patients on an individual
level as well. We have patients returning for frequent
visits. The feedback we get from the
patients here is wonderful. Our patient satisfaction
rate is 4.9 on a scale of 1 to 5,” she claimed
proudly.
The one aspect that Dr. Scott said the center
has to improve upon is publicity. Although
there has been advertising in Carolina Woman,
as well as the hosting of seminars by the DCAS
surgeons, aesthetician, and eye-care physicians,
this Dr. Scott feels is not enough. “The
Duke population does not know where we
are,” she said. The DCAS is tucked away on the
Center for Living campus, and any passerby
driving along Erwin Road can
easily miss it.
When asked how the DCAS
was fairing in the general trend
of declining surgical volumes
seen in hospitals, Dr. Scott
seemed optimistic about the
recent upswing witnessed at the
center. “We had a decline in our
volumes right after 9/11, but we
have seen an increase of 35-40
percent this year. People had to
re-assess their priorities post
9/11 and did not want to spend their money on
something that was not absolutely essential,
but now people are calm and their perception
is changing,” she elaborated.
Attending-level physicians operate at this
cosmetic surgery facility. “Patients have come
People had to re-assess
their priorities post 9/11...
and did not want to
spend their money on
something that was not
absolutely essential,
but now people are calm
and their perception
is changing.
to this environment with the understanding that
they will be receiving care from the attending
surgeons and anesthesiologist,” informed Dr.
Scott.
Both surgical and anesthesiology residents,
however, do come to the DCAS to observe and
assist in surgical procedures so as to understand
what is involved in managing
these types of patients.
The anesthesiology residents
who come here for a two-week
rotation assist in the outpatient
anesthetic, she added. “I think it
is important for residents to
learn how to administer a normal
and typical outpatient anesthetic
that focuses on getting
patients ambulatory in a short
and timely manner. They do not
have the same experience in the
Ambulatory Surgery Center because the experience
there is so regional anesthesia-focused,”
she informed.
General anesthesia is used for most surgical
procedures at the DCAS, while local anesthesia
with sedation is used for others. “We operate
on patients ranging from 3–75 years old. About
90 percent of the patients are women. When
people come to this kind of a setting, particularly
the elderly patients, they worry about
complications and whether they need to be in
a hospital. There have been no complications
here related to the anesthesia or surgery. Only
one patient in the 1,200 patients that we’ve
cared for has been taken back to the operating
room for a revision in the immediate operative
period,” recalled Dr. Scott. “We have state-ofthe-art
equipment here. In fact, we are
equipped with all of the safety features present
in the other operating rooms in the medical
center.” Registered nurses at the center are certified
in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
How costly is it to get cosmetic procedures
done? According to Dr. Scott, most people who
have cosmetic surgery done can afford to do
so. However, the center has kept its fees competitive
and in tune with those charged in this
geographic area, making it possible even for
the average person to come in for surgery. A
payment plan is also available.
For more information regarding the Duke
Center for Aesthetic Services, visit http://dukehealth.org/centers/aesthetic_services.asp
Dianne L. Scott, MD, is associate clinical
professor of anesthesiology in the Department of
Anesthesiology, director of anesthesia for DCAS,
and chief of plastic surgical anesthesia. She
specializes in all aspects of anesthetic care,
including general anesthesia, regional anesthesia
(spinal anesthesia, epidural anesthesia, and nerve
blocks), and intravenous sedation.
Duke Center for Aesthetic Services
DUMC Box 3974
Durham, NC 27710
Office: (919) 668-3388
E-mail: scott002@mc.duke.edu