Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery Anesthesia Team Model at a Crossroads Safety in Office-Based Anesthesia – Lessons We Can Learn from Aviation

Abstract

Throughout its history, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) has raised the bar for patient safety. This article addresses new initiatives under consideration by the AAOMS House of Delegates that are consistent with a desire to assure patient access to safe and effective care. The anesthesia team model in oral-maxillofacial surgery is under attack on multiple fronts, and persistent criticism has intensified over the last few years. Dental office anesthesia tragedies that have occurred with every type of anesthesia provider and every model of anesthesia delivery have disproportionately triggered high-profile attacks on the safety of the oral-maxillofacial surgery model both from within and outside healthcare. Critics have alleged repeatedly that our model of anesthesia delivery is unsafe, we have inadequate skills to manage an airway during a crisis and we employ poorly prepared team members monitoring our anesthesia.