When does anesthesia time officially end?

Anesthesia time officially ends when the personal attendance of the anesthesia provider is no longer required. This means that the anesthesia provider's responsibility for patient care continues until the patient is stable enough that they no longer need direct supervision. The provider must ensure that the patient is in a stable condition, whether that is during recovery from anesthesia or the transition to another care provider who will continue monitoring the patient.

In many cases, the end of anesthesia time is marked when the anesthesia provider can safely hand over care, which may be before the patient is fully awake or the surgical procedure is entirely completed. This distinction is critical, as the timing of anesthesia care is closely monitored for billing and documentation purposes. Thus, the cessation of the provider’s personal attendance as a criteria for concluding anesthesia time reflects the importance of ongoing patient safety and proper medical oversight in the immediate post-anesthesia phase.