Brain monitors help avoid postop dementia from routine anesthesia over-medication

Dec 1 2009

To date, hospitals have not found a billing code that insurers will reimburse them for the $20 cost of the disposable sensor for your brain monitor for 'going under' for surgery.

Anesthesiologists have not told hospitals how important brain monitoring is to avoid postop dementia from routine anesthesia over-medication.

Anesthesiologists have not heard the 'avoid over-medication' message from their leaders because their organizations vitally depend upon millions of dollars in support from America's pharmaceutical companies, aka, 'Big Pharma.'

Big Pharma gets its profits from more drug sales, not less. "If brain monitors were used nationally, as much as 30% of anesthesia drugs would not be sold while Americans would still be getting excellent anesthesia care," opines prominent anesthesiologist, Dr. Barry Friedberg.

Americans do not understand the trail of dollars that appears to keep their (presumed) safety advocates from telling them what they really need to know; i.e. anesthesia over-medication affects 99.9% of Americans 'going under' without a brain monitor while anesthesia awareness affects 0.1%.

Just like too much alcohol is not good, recent studies have also shown that too much anesthesia is not good for your brain as well.

Postop dementia is a very common problem after 'going under' for surgery, especially for seniors. Confusion can last hours, days, weeks months or, in the worst cases, permanently.

"Brain monitors help avoid too much anesthesia and postop dementia," says Friedberg.

Without the voice of a non-profit like Goldilocks Anesthesia Foundation, the American public may never hear what they need to know to be their own safety advocates if they need to 'go under' for surgery.

"The nine essential questions you must ask your surgeon before surgery are on www.GoldilocksAnesthesiaFoundation.org. Download them and take them with you when you first see your surgeon," says Friedberg.

"Cost effective health care starts with caring more about patients than what we do for our drug companies' bottom lines," concludes Friedberg.