How anesthesia works in Colombia
In Colombia, anesthesia is administered by physician anesthesiologists who complete medical school and a three-year anesthesiology residency. There is no nurse-anesthetist model equivalent to the US CRNA system for surgical anesthesia. The Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (SCARE) publishes the national standards for monitoring, and the Ministry of Health's habilitación rules set minimum equipment and staffing for any facility that offers anesthesia. That is a good baseline. It does not mean every facility meets it, which is why you verify.
Verify the person
- Get the anesthesiologist's full name before you book. A clinic that will not tell you who is giving your anesthesia is not a clinic you should book. Ask by email so it is in writing.
- Look them up on ReTHUS. At rethus.gov.co search by name or cédula. Confirm the medical degree is registered and, critically, that anesthesiología appears as a registered specialty. A general physician giving anesthesia is a red flag.
- Ask whether they will be present for the entire case. The standard of care is one anesthesiologist dedicated to your case from induction to handoff in recovery. Ask directly; ask if they run more than one room at once.
- Ask who covers the recovery room. Post-anesthesia care needs trained nursing and immediate anesthesiologist access. Ask how long you will be monitored and by whom.
Verify the place
Every legal healthcare facility in Colombia is registered in REPS, the Registro Especial de Prestadores de Servicios de Salud, with the specific services it is habilitated to provide. Search the facility name and check that the services listed include the type of surgery and anesthesia you are having. A surgeon operating in a facility that is only habilitated for consultations is operating illegally, and it has happened in cosmetic surgery cases. If a hospital claims JCI accreditation, confirm it in the JCI directory; JCI applies to the hospital as a whole, never to an individual surgeon or a clinic within the hospital's building.
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the anesthesiologist? | Full name given in writing, verifiable on ReTHUS with the specialty | We use a team; you will meet them on the day |
| Where exactly is surgery performed? | Named hospital or surgical center, verifiable on REPS | Our private suite; a house; a clinic without an operating room |
| Is there an ICU on site or by agreement? | Yes on site, or a written transfer agreement with a named hospital | We have never needed one |
| What monitoring is used? | ECG, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, capnography, temperature; anesthesia machine with alarms | Vague or dismissive |
| Blood products? | Available through hospital blood bank | Not needed for cosmetic surgery |
| How long is the longest combined procedure you do? | Under 6 hours; longer cases staged or done in hospital with overnight stay | We do 8 to 10 hour combos routinely |
| Clot prevention? | Risk scoring, compression devices, early walking, chemical prophylaxis when indicated | Not mentioned |
Red flags that should end the conversation
- Surgery in a house, apartment or hotel room. This has caused deaths in cosmetic surgery tourism and is illegal.
- A surgeon who books multiple long procedures back to back in one session to save you money.
- No pre-anesthesia evaluation, or one done by WhatsApp only.
- Refusal to name the anesthesiologist or the facility.
- A quote where anesthesia is a suspiciously small line, or missing entirely.
- Pressure to pay cash on arrival before you have seen the facility.
Frequently asked questions
Are Colombian anesthesiologists doctors?
Yes. Anesthesia for surgery is given by physician anesthesiologists with a residency, and you can verify the specialty on ReTHUS.
What is REPS?
The national registry of healthcare providers and the services each is licensed to provide. A facility not in REPS, or not habilitated for surgery, should not be operating on you.
Is it safer to have surgery in a hospital than a private clinic?
For anything under general anesthesia lasting more than an hour or two, or for patients with health conditions, a hospital or a surgical center inside a hospital campus gives you ICU access and blood products. Short procedures under local anesthesia are fine in a properly habilitated clinic.
Can I meet the anesthesiologist before surgery?
You must. The pre-anesthesia evaluation is in person and it is your chance to ask every question above.