First, as with any surgery and anesthesia - ask about risks and benefits as well as the type of anesthesia to be utilized. These risks are part of being informed and giving your consent to the procedure. This step does not change based on the location of the surgery and is one of the more important issues for you as a patient. Proper informed consent involves a frank discussion of risks, benefits, questions, etc.

Other questions to ask:

• Is the doctor board-certified?
• Is the doctor allowed to do this same procedure at a local hospital?
• What kind of training has the surgeon had for this procedure? Where did he or she do their residency? How many procedures of this kind has the surgeon performed?
• Who is giving me anesthesia? You want either an anesthesiologist or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). In short, the person should be someone who has been specifically trained to give anesthesia.
• If the surgeon plans giving you sedation instead of other anesthesia, has the surgeon been trained and credentialed to do this? Has the staff been trained and credentialed to participate in monitoring and emergency care? What if sedation is not enough?
• Is there an emergency plan written out and taught to the staff? Are agreements in place to ambulance services and admittance to the local hospital?
• Is your equipment up-to-date, inspected on a regular basis and all in working order? Is there emergency equipment and medication available according to the standards of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)? Is the surgeon, the anesthesiologist and the staff trained in ACLS and do they maintain current certification?
• If your child is having surgery, ask if the equipment is the right size for children and if the staff is trained in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)?
• Will you have an intravenous line placed prior to the procedure? While you may not want an intravenous line - the answer to this question should be YES - you need this if an emergency situation occurs.
• Will I be monitored according to accepted standards for anesthesia monitoring?
• Are drugs available to treat the rare complication known as "malignant hyperthermia"?
• What kind of care and monitoring will I receive after the surgery (during recovery)? Who will decide when I can go home?
• Does the doctor have medical malpractice insurance?
• Have there been any surgery related deaths in the office or serious complications?

Again, surgery in the office is possible and can be much more convenient while at the same time saving a great deal of money. If you ask these questions and pay attention to the answers, you'll be able to choose the right situation for your office based surgery and anesthesia.