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? Anesthesia without Fear is written for the forty million Americans requiring surgery annually. You get a behind-the-scenes look at how anesthesiologists keep their patients alive while subject to manipulations that would otherwise kill them. Dr. Cottrell explains how the anesthesiologist first disarms your entire nervous system with the most with the most effective drugs for your body chemistry, then brings you safely back to consciousness. Discover exactly what the anesthesiologist does in and outside the operating room on your behalf. 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 mitigate risk. Know how to ask for the form of pain control that's optimal for you. Understand how the managed care system 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.