Why Do I Get to Pick My Surgeon But Not My Anesthesiologist?

I am about to have a three-hour laparoscopy and am under a certain amount of stress. I have never had surgery before, the diagnosis of my condition is uncertain AND on top of all this, everyone in my family who has ever had surgery has ended up being stuck in the hospital for days due to uncontrollable vomiting and nausea brought on by anesthesia. Motion sickness is very common in my family and this, I am told, tends to make post-operative nausea and vomiting worse. In truth, I am less frightened by the thought of being cut open then I am of vomiting my guts out for three days after the procedure.

Given my apprehension and my desire to do whatever possible to make my post-operative suffering as minimal as possible, I have asked to meet my anesthesiologist before the actual day of surgery to ask questions and to help put my mind at ease, but I’ve been told by my doctor that the anesthesiologist is not assigned until the day of the surgery, and therefore there is no one I can speak with until that morning.

Why is it that I have the right to choose my surgeon but not my anesthesiologist? I wouldn't buy a car without taking it for a test drive; I wouldn't hire an employee without interviewing him/her first. Somehow it seems grossly wrong that I am not allowed to choose (little to say meet and speak with beforehand) the person who will be such an important part of my surgery.

I guess hospitals believe that they should have the sole say in choosing anesthesiologists for their patients. I'm sure it simplifies things for the adiministration to not have patients involved in selecting the players. But just like everything else in life, some people are better at what they do than others, and some people are grossly incompetent and yet still have their jobs anyway.

Not only do I think that patients should be able to choose their anesthesiologists, I believe that there should be a rating system for all healthcare providers by current and previous patients, the results of which could be viewed by prospective patients. This way, healthcare providers would strive to better please their patients, and patients could make educated decisions about the best healthcare provider for them.