86,646
Anesthesiologists
100%
Accepting patients
81%
Most common: MD
FindClarity lists 86,646 anesthesiologists nationwide. 100% are currently accepting new patients. The most common credential is MD (81%). 69% accept Medicare.
Anesthesiologists are physicians who specialize in anesthesia care, pain management, and critical care medicine. They keep patients safe and comfortable during surgery, manage pain after procedures, and oversee care in intensive care units. Their role extends well beyond "putting you to sleep."
After medical school, anesthesiologists complete a four-year residency that covers general anesthesia, regional anesthesia (nerve blocks, spinals, epidurals), critical care, pain management, and obstetric anesthesia. Many pursue fellowships in cardiac anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, pain medicine, or critical care.
Before any surgery, your anesthesiologist reviews your medical history, medications, and allergies to create a safe anesthesia plan. During surgery, they monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and brain function continuously. They are responsible for keeping you alive and stable while the surgeon operates.
You will see an anesthesiologist when you are scheduled for surgery or a procedure requiring anesthesia. A pre-operative consultation may happen days before (for complex cases) or the day of surgery. You may also see an anesthesiologist for chronic pain management, labor epidurals, or if you are admitted to an ICU managed by anesthesiologist-intensivists.
Before surgery, the anesthesiologist will review your health history, discuss the anesthesia plan, and answer your questions. On the day of surgery, they will start an IV and administer medications. You will fall asleep within seconds with general anesthesia. During the procedure, the anesthesiologist monitors you continuously. Afterward, they manage your pain and supervise your recovery until you are stable.
Anesthesia (per hour): $500-1,500 · Epidural (labor): $1,000-3,000 · Nerve block: $500-2,000 · Pre-op consultation: $100-300
General anesthesia renders you fully unconscious. Regional anesthesia (spinal, epidural, nerve blocks) numbs a specific area while you stay awake or lightly sedated. Local anesthesia numbs a small area (like for stitches). Sedation (twilight) keeps you relaxed and drowsy but not fully unconscious. Your anesthesiologist recommends the safest option based on the procedure and your health.
Modern anesthesia is remarkably safe. Serious complications are rare, roughly 1 in 100,000 to 200,000 cases for healthy patients. Advances in monitoring, medications, and training have dramatically improved safety over the past few decades. Your anesthesiologist will assess your specific risk factors and choose the safest approach for your situation.
Under general anesthesia, you will not feel pain or have awareness of the procedure. The anesthesiologist monitors your depth of anesthesia throughout surgery. Awareness during anesthesia is extremely rare (roughly 1 in 19,000 cases). If you have concerns, discuss them with your anesthesiologist before the procedure.
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Anesthesia services are covered as part of your surgical benefits. The anesthesiologist may bill separately from the surgeon and hospital. Under the No Surprises Act, you are protected from surprise out-of-network anesthesia bills at in-network facilities. Anesthesia is billed by time (per unit), so longer surgeries cost more. Pre-operative consultations may have a separate copay.