Dr. Gary Roach
Anesthesiology
San Francisco, CA
43 years experience male
Locations
The Permanente Medical Group
About
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
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
123 Answers
50 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
About 4 hours: The half life of Naloxone is about 60 minutes so it should be essentially gone within 4 hours.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Screening test: Stress test is a screening test to determine if ischemia is present. It has good although not perfect reliability.
You should discuss the results an... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
It numbs: It would deter from getting an erection in the first place, but it's numbing effect may delay ejaculation.
4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Yes: Depending on the source of pain they may provide some relief. Don't expect relief unless the source of pain is superficial.
4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
It doesn't: Anesthesia does not cause hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can be caused by stress, and surgery can cause stress.
3.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
More systemic effect: The Nitroglycerin ointment is applied for its local effects. Imdur taken orally would have more systemic effects such as lowering blood pressure and ... Read More
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Depends on drugs: It depends on the drugs given during the anesthetic. Typically for most procedures, the grogginess wears off within a few hours. Pain medications or... Read More
3.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
With supervision: The sedative effects of these drugs can have an unsafe synergistic effect. If taken in combination, it should be under a doctor's supervision.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
No: Anesthesia should be administered either by an anesthesiologist or certified nurse anesthetist.
3.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
No: Hydrocodone is a narcotic analgesic which blunts pain perception. Ibuprofen is an antiinflammatory which may actually help decrease the cause of pain... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Respiratory function: This would allow the person reading the echocardiogram to determine if any respiratory difficulties might be due to diaphragmatic dysfunction.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
It depends: Echocardiography is performed to provide information about the structure and function of the heart. It can provide information about structural abnor... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Blood direction: Colors on echocardiography indicate blood direction. Red indicates flow towards the transducer, and blue indicates flow away from the transducer. Ye... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Depends on cause: Typically pain management is undertaken after the cause of the pain is determined. Other options would include physical therapy or perhaps surgery if... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
No: These are completely different drugs.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Yes: This is often done with local anesthesia. General anesthesia could be used but is usually not necessary.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 75-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
It depends: This will depend on the type of anestheti given however short-acting a esthetics are typically used. All effects should be gone by the following day.... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
No pain during opera: You should have no pain during surgery. There will likely be some pain after surgery that is usually easily controlled with medications.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Usually not: Cavities can often be filled without any anesthesia or sedation. In most cases, local anesthesia is sufficient.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
No: The vagus nerve originates in the brain, so an injection affecting spinal nerves should have no effect.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Don't worry: This is normal and not the beginning of dilation.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Need a prescription: It is illegal to obtain hydro condone without a prescription. There are many legitimate and legal indications however.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Exercise: Nonfat milk has the fewest calories, but getting a flat stomach will require exercise such as sit-ups and abdominal crunches.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Unlikely: Mild tricuspid valve regurgitation is a relatively common finding on echocardiography. In itself, it should not cause difficulty breathing.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Maybe: Motrin can irritate the stomach lining leading to gastritis and/or ulcers. Taking antacids can help prevent this. If you are already having symptoms... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Unlikely: If you are asking if the heart can stop pumping due to anesthesia, the answer is yes. This is typically prevented by close monitoring of the cardiova... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Yes: These drugs act by different mechanisms. Ibuprofen is not a narcotic, so will not have an additive effect to the side effects of oxycodone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Not necessarily: This is routine in case genera l anesthesia or deep sedation becomes necessary, but not mean it is probable.
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Several options: If this is a limited procedure, it may be possible with local anesthesia. More extensive surgery usually requires general anesthesia.
Your surgeon ... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Yes: They work by different mechanisms and have different side effects.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Yes: Advil (ibuprofen) is an antinflammatory agent while oxycodone is a narcotic, i.e. Theyhave different mechanisms of action as well as different adverse... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
No: Topical an esthetics are not detected by standard drug testing.
4.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Yes: Yes, no problem.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Doppler effect: The echocardiogram utilizes ultrasound and a principle called the doppler effect. Doppler effect means sound waves are reflected at different velocit... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Probably nothing: Most likely they refer to the same thing which is an ultrasound of the heart. Technically however, an echogram could examine any part of the body wit... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 67-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Needs follow-up: Bicuspid aortic valves are prone to deterioration over time. This usually does not occur until later in adult life. It can also be associated with d... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old male asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Further workup: Presuming this is new and he has previously been easily able to perform these activities, he needs more workup. This might include an echocardiogram,... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Sometimes: Although many patients experience some effects on the brain as the result of cardiac bypass, personality changes are not particularly common. The mos... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Possibly: It is certainly possible that your symptoms could be related to anxiety. However, it could be due to other issues such as inadequate coronary blood f... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Bad idea: Anything is possible, however she would not be prepared for potential complications such as inadequate anesthesia or excessive bleeding. Infection is... Read More
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Probably not: Echocardiograms do not typically detect coronary disease. However, a stress echocardiogram can be done which may indicate underlying coronary disease... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Common finding: Patent foramen ovale is found as an incidental finding in about 25% of adults and is typically a benign incidental finding. It is highly unlikely to... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Ejection fraction: This is likely referring the the left ventricular ejection fraction which is the percentage of blood the left ventricle ejects with each beat. Normal ... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Need more infomation: This is a method of looking at function during the part of the heart cycle know as diastole (when the ventricle relaxes). The information provided ne... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Not particularly.: As already noted, this can often be done with local anesthesia. Nerve block or bier block (local anesthesia given intravenously) are also possible. ... Read More
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
No: No, the drugs are chemically distinct.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Maybe: Hysterectomy can be done with either general or regional anesthesia with sedation. Discuss with your gynecologist and anesthesiologist and let them n... Read More
4.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
4.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Gary Roachanswered
Anesthesiology 43 years experience
Heart structure/func: It is an excellent test for detecting structural problems and can also be used to assess ventricular function, or the ability of the heart to pump blo... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >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.
2
Recommendations
132
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Roach is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Roach is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
This saved my life. Thank You! Thanks doctor it help me out so much
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you Doctor.
HealthTap member
Surgery is tomorrow. Atelectasis is chronic.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Texas Medical School at Houston, TX
Graduated 1979MD
Residency
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Completed 1982
Awards
Founding Knowledge Editor, First Place, San Francisco - Winter
2016
HealthTap Founding Doctor
Affiliations
Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists
American Heart Association
American Society of Anesthesiologists
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