Field Notes

June 21, 20268 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

LAST Preparedness: What 2026 AORN & ASA Guidelines Mean for Your ASC

2026 AORN & ASA guidelines raise the bar for local anesthetic systemic toxicity preparedness at ASCs. Here's what your team must do right now.

Read the post
June 14, 20268 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

ASA 2026 Fascial Plane Block Mandate: What ASCs Must Do Now

The ASA 2026 perioperative pain guidelines strongly recommend fascial plane blocks for mastectomy, abdominal, and cardiothoracic surgery. Here's what your ASC and CRNA team must do now.

Read the post
June 14, 20269 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Inside the Anesthesia EHR: Every New Feature, Pre-Op to PACU (2026)

A CRNA's tour of every feature in the MyPreOp anesthesia EHR — auto-filled pre-op forms, swipe-or-screenshot vitals, voice-to-chart, Consult AI, and a Safety Co-Pilot — and how each helps anesthesia providers and surgeons.

Read the post
June 7, 20268 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Anesthesia Time Caps 2026: What ASCs Must Do Now

Anthem's anesthesia time caps are denying claims now. Here's what private practices and ASCs must do in 2026 to protect reimbursement and stay viable.

Read the post
June 6, 20267 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

AI for Anesthesia in 2026: A CRNA's Honest Guide

What AI actually does (and doesn't do) for anesthesia providers in 2026. From a practicing CRNA, not a vendor.

Read the post
June 6, 20266 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Anesthesia Charting Software: What to Look For in 2026

Seven criteria that separate software built for the OR from generic form generators with anesthesia branding.

Read the post
June 6, 20266 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Best AI Tools for CRNAs in 2026: A Practical Field Guide

What AI tools actually save a CRNA time in 2026 — ranked by daily-use leverage. From a practicing nurse anesthetist.

Read the post
June 11, 20265 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Why Anesthesia Providers Are Adopting AI Pre-Op Tools in 2026

Four concrete reasons CRNAs, anesthesiologists, and CAAs are moving to AI pre-op workflows this year.

Read the post
June 16, 20266 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

CRNA Workflow: How AI Cuts Pre-Op Chart Review by 90%

From 10 minutes per chart to 30 seconds. The mechanics of how it actually works — and why the CRNA still owns every call.

Read the post
June 22, 20267 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

AI Anesthesia Pre-Op Charting: How It Actually Works

Under the hood of AI pre-op charting in 2026. The five stages a clearance document goes through, with no marketing varnish.

Read the post
June 28, 20266 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

What Anesthesiologists Should Know About AI Pre-Op Tools (2026)

Five questions every anesthesiologist should ask before adopting an AI pre-op tool — from a CRNA-founder who works alongside MDs.

Read the post
June 5, 20267 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

ASA Physical Status Classification: Chart, Examples, & 2026 Guide

Plain English. Real examples. The cusp between ASA II and III is where elective cases live or die — here's how to call it.

Read the post
June 5, 20266 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Pre-Op Clearance Lab Checklist: What Tests Are Actually Required (2026)

The 2026 evidence-based panel by age, comorbidity, and case type. Plus the labs you can stop ordering out of habit.

Read the post
June 5, 20266 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Hemoglobin Cutoff for Surgery: When to Cancel for Anemia (2026 Guide)

No single Hb cutoff exists — the answer is case-by-case. Cutoffs for cosmetic, ortho, and general surgery, plus the anemia workup before re-scheduling.

Read the post
June 5, 20267 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Pre-Op Clearance for Plastic Surgery: A Surgeon's 2026 Workflow Guide

The PCP letter that lands on your coordinator's desk is not a clearance. Here's the 5-step workflow that turns it into one — and prevents $15K–$30K same-day cancellations.

Read the post
June 5, 20268 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Anesthesia Pre-Op Form Template: What Each Section Actually Means (2026)

Section-by-section walkthrough of the standard anesthesia pre-op form with what each field is for and the common errors that delay or cancel cases.

Read the post
June 1, 20267 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

The AI Co-Pilot Has Landed in the Preop Clinic — and the Evidence Is Here

The first randomized trial of an AI chatbot in preoperative care just published, and the ASA calls perioperative medicine central to healthcare's future. What it means for ASCs.

Read the post
May 28, 202611 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

MT-ND4 m.11232T>C in Venezuelan Maternal Lineage: An Anesthesia Management Protocol

TIVA, no volatile anesthetics, processed EEG and cerebral oximetry, regional preferred. A clinical playbook for the anesthesia team — based on the ASA, APSF, SPA, and ESAIC joint statements — with a one-page intraop checklist and references.

Read the post
May 15, 20268 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

GLP-1 Surgery Hold: Ozempic & Wegovy Risks for Plastic Surgery

Why we recommend a 14-day GLP-1 hold before elective surgery — and what GI colleagues are still finding on endoscopy a month after patients stop their weekly injection.

Read the post
April 20, 20268 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

The Hidden Cost of Same-Day Surgical Cancellations in Private Practice

Same-day surgical cancellation cost can devastate private practices. A practicing CRNA reveals the true revenue impact and how to prevent OR cancellations.

Read the post
April 11, 20268 min readBy Dennis Diaz, CRNA

Why Pre-Op Clearances Fail (and What Each One Costs You)

A CRNA-founder's breakdown of the nine things that get cosmetic and elective cases canceled the morning of surgery — and the dollar math behind each one.

Read the post