[TaxRelief]

I believe that the problems, when they do occur, come from the fact that some members of the surgical team are "behind the scenes players" that have had no contact with the awake patient or the family. Anesthesiologists, in particular, often meet their patients two minutes before they knock them out. Someone that important to the patient's survival should at least see the patient as a person prior to treating them. It is because of this "person-patient theory" that our family members usually make an appointment with the anesthesiologist prior to surgery.

[Beck_isright]

Hell, I didn't even know who my anesthesiologists until 2 minutes before the IV was put in. In all my surgeries, they walked in, shook my hand and said "this might sting a little".