Locations
Office
Portland, OR
Insurances accepted
Aetna
BlueCross BlueShield
About
Bio
I have practiced anesthesiology both in academic and private practice settings for more than 25 years. My clinical interests are in anesthesia for thoracic surgery, esophageal surgery and neurosurgery, although I also enjoy delivering anesthesia for outpatient surgery. My academic interests focus on healthcare economics and provider payment policies. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling with my wife, photography and scuba diving.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Anesthesiology
Doctor Q&A
78 Answers
57 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Should be fine: The current guidelines allow clear liquids like water up to 2 hours before surgery, full liquids up to 6 hours before surgery and 8h or more for regul... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
A fluid collection: Most women of child bearing years have collections of fluid in the ovaries surrounded by a thin wall of tissue. This is an ovarian cyst and is common ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Depends: This depends on the reason for the nephectomy. Given that it is a week out, it sounds fairly elective. The reasons to avoid anesthesia with an active ... Read More
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Very little: From a chemistry perspective, morphine is an acidic drug. When drug companies manufacture it, they distribute it as a "salt." in the us, the most comm... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Anesthesia problems: Side effects depend on the type of anesthesia, the length and type of surgery, the age and gender of the patient, and other medical conditions that pa... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
It depends: A nerve block with only a local anesthetic typically lasts hours, not days. If other medications were used, such as steroid medications, the effect ca... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
MH and anesthesia: Malignant hyperthermia is an inherited disease triggered by certain medications used in anesthesia that can lead to a life-threatening crisis during o... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Varies: There are a many different types of wrist fusion surgeries as the forearm wrist and hand have many bones that could be fused. In my experience, both i... Read More
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Possibly: It is very important that you share this information with your anesthesiologist. Knowing that you had negative pressure pulmonary edema will be helpfu... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
It depends: If the origin of your pulmonary hypertension is related to an inflammatory process in your lungs, steroids may help; however, there are other causes o... Read More
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 65-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
No great answer: Muscle cramps are common, and most of the time there is no good explanation for why they occur. Muscle fatigue, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances ar... Read More
4.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 58-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Could be: With cirrhosis, fluid can collect in the abdomen. This is called ascites. With enough pressure, this fluid can sometimes leak through the site of a pr... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Many : Many factors contribute to nausea after a procedure. These factors include patient gender, age, location and type of procedure, timing relative to the... Read More
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Maybe sulfites: Foul smelling urine is a sign worth investigating. Urine that smells like rotten eggs may indicate excretion of sulfites in the urine. This may be rel... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 64-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Probably not: Aortic stenosis itself can cause increased heart size (cardiomegaly) as it progresses. Diabetes plus aortic stenosis does increase the risk of reduced... Read More
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Possibly bronchitis: You may have developed a case of bronchitis - an inflammation of the airway tubes in your lungs. Symptoms that have persisted this long is not normal ... Read More
3.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Evaluation first: That is a fairly large cyst. While many/most cysts are non-cancerous, some are. Since this is creating symptoms, she needs to see a gynecologist in th... Read More
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Yes but rarely: In most cases, malignant hyperthermia (mh) is triggered by certain medications used in anesthesia, such as anesthetic vapors or muscle relaxants. In s... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 55-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Not a good idea: People who have nasal polyps may also have asthma and develop significant drug reactions to Aspirin and other nsaids. This can occur over time and the... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Fairly low risk: The drugs typically used in dental sedation are not triggers for mh. With your history though, would suggest having a board certified anesthesiologist... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
To get best images: Ultrasound uses sound waves reflecting off tissues in your body to create images. The further the sound waves have to travel, the less accurate the im... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Yes: Ondansetron was originally approved to treat chemotherapy induced nausea. It was subsequently found to be very effective in treating and preventing su... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Probably not: Pain alone, without other neurological symptoms (numbness, weakness, incontinence) can be addressed in most patients without surgery. Physical therapy... Read More
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Concern is typical: Fear of anesthesia is very common. Like commercial flying, the actual risk of dying or not waking up from anesthesia is very, very low - on the order ... Read More
2.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Depends on symptoms: If you have no symptoms, you may not require any treatment. With symptoms limited to pain, non-surgical treatments should be attempted first - physica... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Bulging of the eyes: Proptosis is a condition in which the eyes bulge out. It can be caused by a number of conditions, including grave's disease. It it is one sided, it ma... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed May 26, 2021
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
None but…: Many individuals find melatonin an effective sleep aid. It is a hormone produced by the brain that contributes to the normal sleep-wake cycle. It is a... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
See your doctor: Frequent urination in a male is an uncommon condition and warrants evaluation. You may have an infection, diabetes or some other condition that requir... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Unlikely: For labor epidurals, anesthesiologists typically do not give any benzodiazipines, barbiturates or other sedative drugs as this can affect the fetus. T... Read More
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Periop med specialty: Anesthesiology is the medical specialty that addresses the study and delivery of anesthesia. Anesthesiologists provide perioperative care, including p... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Depends on dose: Ketamine's drug level drops by 1/2 about every 2-2 1/2 hours. This is known as the half-life of the drug. At about 5 half-lives, the effect of a drug ... Read More
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Femoral block acl: The most common nerve block used for acl surgery is a femoral nerve block. These can either be a single injection or may include placement of a cathet... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Around 12/7-12/14: If you are due on 8/30, you ovulated (released the egg) on around 12/7 and implanted the fertilized egg around 12/14. Congratulations and good luck wi... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Yes: It is unusual to have frequent nosebleeds. There are a number of potential causes, some of which could signify a serious medical condition. You should... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 56-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Yes: Assuming that these lab tests are in chronological order, you are showing some decrease in renal function over time. While different labs may show sli... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
8-9 hours a day: While there is some variation for each person, for your age, you should strive to get about 8-9 hours of sleep a night. Chronic sleep deprivation can ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Check with your MD: The reason for caution is that this combination of drugs greatly increases the risk of impaired breathing. Breathing rate and depth is controlled by t... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Maybe: Signs of an active infection will almost certainly lead to a delay in an elective surgery, that is one that the timing has some flexibility. Even with... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
This is serious: Ongoing thoughts about doing harm to oneself is a very serious matter and probably indicates severe depression. If you have a psychiatrist, contact th... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Maybe an allergy: All opioids, of which hydrocodone is one, have itching as a known side effect. If you have itching without any rash or other symptoms, it may be just ... Read More
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 71-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Possibly: Improvement of symptoms with medications, physical therapy or other so-called conservative approaches, is worth discussing with your surgeon and pain ... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 60-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Many causes: Overuse and vocal strain are common causes of hoarseness. But there are a number of other causes that warrant investigation. You should seek referral ... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Possibly OK: Urge to urinate during pregnancy is very common. The enlarging uterus puts pressure on the bladder, giving a sensation of a full bladder. Five times a... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Both antihistamines: Diphenhydramine (also known as benadryl) is an antihistamine that is typically used to treat allergic reactions. It is somewhat sedating and causes dr... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Several steps: First, you need to have a pregnancy test to determine if you are pregnant. Second, you need to have symptoms consistent with an ectopic pregnancy, inc... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
One possibility: Pain in the right upper abdomen after eating may be related to activity of the gall bladder. Inflammation or stones in the gallbladder may cause pain ... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Yes: If your endometriosis was limited to the uterus, tubes and ovaries (which are removed with a "full" hysterectomy, then cure is possible; however, endo... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Different things: Between each vertebrae (backbone) from the skull to the pelvis is a material known as a "disc" that serves as a sort of shock absorber. This material ... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old male asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Depends: This really depends on the type of hip surgery. You need to speak with your orthopedic surgeon who knows your surgical history and can provide you gui... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Norman Cohenanswered
Anesthesiology 37 years experience
Worth checking out: Bruising without an obvious cause may indicate a blood clotting abnormality. While there are many causes both known and unknown, your best course is t... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
8
Recommendations
157
Thank you notes
Mar 20, 2013
Excellent consultant in Anesthesiology. Informative and caring answers.
Dr. Peter Schulman
Nov 27, 2012
Nov 27, 2012
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! I was put on a low dose, &took patch as previously purscribed; although it was eight yrs ago, & wasn't opiate tolerant.Is this a medicaddict
HealthTap member
Thankyou. You are the first Dr. that didn't blow me off or tell me that it was probably the cortisol I take.My M.D. found a pituitary tumor.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! But does this mean I should be taking it everyday instead of when nece
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Graduated 1985MD
Residency
Duke University Medical Center
Residency
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
Awards
Bertram Coffer Award for Excellence in Government, American Society of Anesthesiologists
Top Anesthesiologist, First Place, Oregon - Winter
2013
Top Anesthesiologist, First Place, Oregon - Summer
2013
Affiliations
American Society of Anesthesiologists
Oregon Society of Anesthesiologists
American Medical Association
Publications
Risk stratification index: an important advance in comparing health care apples to oranges.
Avoiding Common Errors in Anesthesia
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