Safeguarding surgical access through modernized anesthesia care teams: what surgeons should know

Abstract

<title>Summary</title> Anesthesia workforce shortages are an increasingly important contributor to operating room closures and surgical delays. These gaps disproportionately affect rural and regional hospitals, limiting equitable access to surgery. This commentary outlines how Canada can modernize the anesthesia care team (ACT) model to sustain surgical capacity while maintaining patient safety. Anesthesia assistants (AAs), trained professionals working under anesthesiologist supervision, already support perioperative care in many centres but remain underutilized. Standardizing AA credentials, defining supervision based on case conditions rather than fixed ratios, and implementing transparent safety reporting could expand access responsibly. Surgeons, as procedural leaders whose productivity depends on anesthesia workforce availability, should understand the ACT framework and its safeguards. Strengthening collaboration between surgical and anesthesia leadership offers a practical path to preserve access to surgery and reduce wait times without compromising safety.