Anesthesia without Fear: The Informed Consumer's Guide to Safe Surgery and Chronic Pain Relief

What happens when you go under the anesthesiologist's mask? What does this crucial, highly trained doctor do to ensure that you wake up again? And what can you do pre-op to protect your well-being and recover successfully?

“Reading this book is like hearing his wise, kind voice in conversation… A must for anyone about to undergo surgery or for any future anesthesiologist.” — Todd C. Sacktor, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology, Anesthesiology, and Neurology

Anesthesia without Fear is written for the 40 million Americans who need surgery every year. You get a behind-the-scenes look at how anesthesiologists keep their patients alive as the surgeon performs actions that would otherwise kill them. Dr. Cottrell shows how the anesthesiologist first disarms your entire nervous system with the most effective drugs for your body, then brings you safely back to consciousness. Discover exactly what the anesthesiologist does for you, inside and outside the operating room. Find out what pre-operative questions to ask this doctor who has your life in their hands. Learn what information to give the anesthesiologist to minimize your risk. Know how to ask for the type of pain control that’s best for you. Understand how managed-care insurance works and what to do if you aren't getting the care you need.
The more informed you are about your surgery and anesthesia, the less anxiety you feel—a major factor in a successful outcome.

“The master anesthesiologist deftly brings his reader into the world of the operating room. Dr. Cottrell explains how anesthesia works and how you as a patient can get the best of it.”
— Michael E. Zenilman, MD, professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine; chief, department of surgery, New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital

“At 62, I was faced with breast cancer and a double mastectomy. My past anesthesia experiences were terrible, with nausea and delirium. Dr. Cottrell explained my options based on my age and medical histopry. He then prescribed the anesthesia particulars for my surgery. For the first time, I had no ill effects.

“Reading this book will be like having Dr. Cottrell consult for you!” — Janet Arienzo