Dr. Chris Viozzi: Pearls on Practicing Safe Anesthesia and Defending Our Privilege of Providing Anesthesia for Our Patients

Many oromaxillofacial surgeons take their right to anesthetize their patients for granted. Recently there has been a move to rescind this right, and talking to us today about why this is a disaster for patients and oromaxillofacial surgeons alike, is Dr. Chris Viozzi. Chris returns on this episode to remind us of the vital role of anesthesia in making dental procedures painless for patients, and what the field can expect in the way of updated safety and training procedures. Find out why the anesthetizing of a patient is so much more important than the procedure itself, and what you can do to support the fight for oromaxillofacial surgeons’ anesthetic qualification. We hear how disasters are like Swiss Cheese (all the holes have to be there), and what dentistry has learned from the aviation industry. For all this, and so much more, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcome back to Dr. Chris Viozzi, discussing the debate surrounding anesthesia (a reminder that his opinions are not reflective of official bodies). 
• The double standards applied to medical procedures compared to dental procedures, and how the media portrays tragedies. 
• Who is qualified and able to dissect the underlying cause of an anesthetic event, 
• How oromaxillofacial surgeons can be safe when providing anesthesia to patients.
• Why Chris needs to reign in his residents' pre-surgery consult talking. 
• How to prepare patients for surgery.
• The power of suggestion in reassuring your patients. 
• How the board exams help early-career oromaxillofacial surgeons become competent in anesthetics. 
• Why the questions in the board exams are structured the way they are. 
• The benefits of being board certified regarding medical insurance and hospital employment requirements. 
• How to avoid medico-legal issues: establish a good rapport with your patients, do quarterly reviews or training sessions, and evaluate your practice model.  
• The importance of resource management in preventing disasters!
• What private practice and academic surgeons can do to support the fight for oromaxillofacial surgeons’ anesthetic qualification. 
• The questions you can ask to open critics' minds to other viewpoints. 
• Why it’s important to focus on the anesthesia first, and then the surgery itself. 
• Chris’s thoughts on anesthesia as a kindness to dental patients. 
• A case study of Chris's, demonstrating the unique scenarios that oromaxillofacial surgeons are exposed to when administering anesthetic, compared to hospital cases. 
• Why disasters are like Swiss Cheese: all the holes have to be present for a disaster to happen. 
• The links between aviation and surgery. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Chris Viozzi on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-viozzi-759605126/

Dr. Chris Viozzi Phone — 507-284-2511

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059