Dr. Andrew Hummel is a board-certified anesthesiologist, an ABA Diplomate, and a six-time recipient of the 417 Top Doctor Award. His perioperative approach to anesthesia covers the entire surgical journey, from pre-operative optimization to postoperative recovery. With his approach, Dr. Hummel ensures that every patient receives accurate, individualized care.
Key Takeaways
● Dr. Hummel’s perioperative anesthesia care approach covers preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases.
● Dr. Hummel performs individualized anesthesia planning based on medical history, which lowers risks related to a surgical procedure.
● Dr. Hummel has a decade-long clinical experience, along with expertise in Iovera° cryoneurolysis and ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques.
You might spend weeks researching your surgeon. You learn about their success rates, hospital affiliations, and even medical school. But do you ever think about your anesthesiologist? Most patients don't, and this gap is worth closing.
Your anesthesiologist is the person who manages your airway, titrates your sedation, and monitors your vital signs during surgery. Yet, that person is a stranger for most patients. Dr. Andrew Hummel is a board-certified anesthesiologist who practices perioperative medicine. So, he will involve himself in your case well before you reach the operating room. Moreover, his anesthesia care will continue long after you leave the room.
If you want to learn how Dr. Hummel’s individualized anesthesia care approach is improving surgical safety and recovery, then keep reading.
What Is the Perioperative Approach to Care?
Perioperative medicine is a thorough approach to patient care that spans the full surgical journey – before, during, and after the procedure. It does not just start at induction and end at extubation.
Dr. Andrew Hummel, MD, describing his perioperative approach, said, "My involvement with patients doesn't start at induction and end at extubation. The entire surgical day, and the labor and delivery experience, is my domain."
Dr. Hummel’s perioperative approach is defined by three phases. Pre-operative optimization involves addressing your underlying medical conditions before any incision is made. Similarly, in the intraoperative phase, precision anesthesia is delivered during the surgical procedure. Applying real-time clinical judgment is important in this phase. Finally, postoperative management is about aiding you with recovery. Pain, nausea, and your vital signs will be actively monitored in the third, recovery phase.
The Pre-Operative Phase: Where Surgical Safety Actually Begins
Understand that the pre-operative assessment is not conducted for formality. It is when most of the surgical risks are caught, while some can also be missed if not done properly. So, here are the three priorities that Dr. Hummel maintains for all patients:
NPO Compliance
The “Nil Per Os” (NPO) or “nothing-by-mouth” rule exists for safety reasons. Under general anesthesia, an unprotected airway is really dangerous. It can lead to pulmonary aspiration, which is stomach contents entering the lungs. Such a situation can be fatal.
According to the current guidelines by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), clear liquids can be consumed up to two hours before surgery. The "nothing after midnight" rule is old and has become outdated today. However, GLP-1 medications like Ozempic can slow down the process of gastric emptying. So, you must stop taking such medicines for a full week before surgery. Dr. Hummel makes sure that every detail is accurately recorded during pre-operative assessments.
Medication Reconciliation
Most chronic medications, like those for blood pressure, thyroid, or psychiatric issues, should be taken the morning of surgery. On the other hand, individualized decisions are required for anticoagulants, diabetes drugs, and cardiac medications.
The supplements you take also matter for pre-operative assessment. Garlic, fish oil, and ginkgo can all increase your bleeding risk, yet patients rarely mention them. So, a complete list of medications and supplements you take is one of the most useful things you can bring to a pre-operative appointment.
Risk Stratification
Airway classification, comorbidity evaluation, and anesthesia history can shape the anesthetic plan developed for you. During pre-op evaluations, Dr. Hummel has identified undiagnosed sleep apnea, unsuspected cardiac abnormalities, and dangerous drug interactions. These are problems that would have surfaced dangerously late if they were caught in the operating room instead of pre-op assessment.
Individualized Care: What It Looks Like in Practice
Dr. Andrew Hummel, MD, does not use a one-size-fits-all anesthetic plan. He builds every anesthetic plan around the specific patient, procedure, and recovery goal.
For example, an 87-year-old patient once arrived with moderate aortic stenosis, a pacemaker, and a hip fracture. His family was told that he may not survive the surgery. But Dr. Hummel collaborated with cardiology to ensure the best outcome for the patient. He went with a carefully titrated spinal instead of general anesthesia to minimize hemodynamic stress. He also established a clear protocol for pressor support. The patient spent just one night in a regular hospital room, and not in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), followed by rehabilitation within only 48 hours.
Positive outcomes of patients, especially risky and complex cases, do not always come from a standardized protocol. They come from individualized planning. Regional anesthesia techniques, like peripheral nerve blocks for upper and lower extremity surgeries or neuraxial approaches for obstetric patients, are chosen based on individual anatomy. Moreover, Dr. Hummel adds opioid-sparing multimodal strategies into anesthetic plans from the very start, and not after pain becomes a problem.
Dr. Hummel’s regional practice includes ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks for shoulder, knee, and extremity procedures. His regional practice also includes neuraxial techniques like epidurals and spinal anesthesia for obstetric patients navigating labor, delivery, and a cesarean section. Dr. Hummel is also one of the few anesthesiologists trained in Iovera° cryoneurolysis, which is a non-opioid cold therapy used in the pre-operative phase to block nerve transmission and reduce postoperative pain burden. The treatment is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Anesthesiologist You Deserve
Surgery is one of the most vulnerable moments of your life. So, the person watching over you during that time deserves as much scrutiny as the surgeon making the incision.
Dr. Andrew Hummel is a board-certified anesthesiologist with dual certification in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). He holds a Missouri State Medical License active through 2027, and brings more than a decade of clinical experience across general surgery, orthopedics, regional anesthesia, and complex perioperative care.
You can verify his board certification directly through the ABA directory at theaba.org. You can also visit andrewhummelmd.com to learn more about Dr. Hummel’s individualized, perioperative approach to anesthesia care.