expert type icon EXPERT

Dr. Michael K. Urban, MD

Anesthesiologist

Dr. Michael Urban is an anesthesiologist and critical care physician practicing in New York. He has concentrated on the perioperative management of patients to reduce adverse outcomes. This includes the preoperative preparedness of the patient for surgery, intraoperative management and postoperative control of pain, hemodynamics and fluid management. Although trained in cardiac anesthesia and worked for many years providing regional anesthesia, recently his emphasis has been on improving outcome after complex spinal surgery.
35 years Experience
Dr. Michael K. Urban, MD
  • New York, New York
  • Residency and fellowship Yale School of Medicine
  • Accepting new patients

How long does nerve block last after shoulder surgery?

The Brachial Plexus, which is the nerve trunk that supplies your shoulder, arm, and hand, is blocked for shoulder surgery. The length of time the block will last depends upon where READ MORE
The Brachial Plexus, which is the nerve trunk that supplies your shoulder, arm, and hand, is blocked for shoulder surgery. The length of time the block will last depends upon where the nerve trunk is blocked, how much volume of local anesthetic is injected, which local anesthetic is used, and whether medications are added to the local anesthetic. A nerve block can be administered which anesthetizes the shoulder for surgery, but spares much of the arm and hand and the analgesic aspect of the block can last for over 24 hours.

Michael Urban, MD PhD

What type of anesthesia is used for hip surgery?

Either a spinal or epidural as the primary anesthetic with intravenous sedation (Propofol and Midazolam).

Michael Urban, MD PhD

Can you eat before dental anesthesia?

The risk of eating before any anesthetic relates to the ability of your laryngeal reflexes to be adequately intact to prevent gastric contents from entering the trachea and damaging READ MORE
The risk of eating before any anesthetic relates to the ability of your laryngeal reflexes to be adequately intact to prevent gastric contents from entering the trachea and damaging the lung tissue. When you are sedated with medications it is always possible that you may vomit or reflux gastric contents (particularly if you have GERD, heart-burn or are overweight). If your airway protection mechanism, the larynx, is also anesthetized; those stomach juices and food my enter the lung. Hence, I recommend not eating solid food 6 hours before a dental general anesthetic. This should not be affected by the local anesthesia which the dentist injects into your gum or the nerves which supply your teeth.

Michael Urban, MD, PhD

What sort of sedation is normally used for a colonoscopy?

Intravenous propofol; sometimes the clinician may also administer Versed as an anxiolytic and fentanyl for analgesia.

Are you awake during regional anesthesia?

Unless there is some contraindication; you are usually sedated during surgery performed with a regional anesthetic. The sedation level from the patient's perspective is "asleep" READ MORE
Unless there is some contraindication; you are usually sedated during surgery performed with a regional anesthetic. The sedation level from the patient's perspective is "asleep" but not a general anesthetic.