
Dr. Jay R. Shayevitz M.D.
Anesthesiologist | Critical Care Medicine
601 Elmwood Ave Box 604 Rochester NY, 14642About
Dr. Jay Shayevitz is an anesthesiologist practicing in Rochester, NY. Dr. Shayevitz ensures the safety of patients who are about to undergo surgery. Anestesiologists specialize in general anesthesia, which will (put the patient to sleep), sedation, which will calm the patient or make him or her unaware of the situation, and regional anesthesia, which just numbs a specific part of the body. As an anesthesiologist, Dr. Shayevitz also might help manage pain after an operation.
Education and Training
University of Michigan
Provider Details

Dr. Jay R. Shayevitz M.D.'s Expert Contributions
Do they put you to sleep for a lung biopsy?
If you’re going to have an open lung biopsy, then yes, you need general anesthesia. If you’re going to have a bronchial biopsy via bronchoscope, general anesthesia may not be necessary, although some proceduralists prefer it. If you’re going to have a percutaneous CT-guided lung biopsy, general anesthesia again may not be necessary. Jay R Shayevitz MD MS 403 Golf Dr Oceanside NY 11572 cell: 585-474-1741 ph: 914-963-4394 READ MORE
How soon after anesthesia can you drive?
After a same-day surgery procedure (if you will be going hame after the procedure), do not do any tasks that require higher cognitive functions for at least 24 hr. This includes driving, operating heavy machinery, making important legal decisions, or signing contracts. This is conditioned on not taking prescription pain meds such as Percocet, Vicodin, and Norco. If you take prescription pain meds you should follow the same precautions as you would after anesthesia: No driving or performing any other tasks that require higher cognitive functioning until you no longer take those medications. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD MS READ MORE
Is it normal to be tired a week after general anesthesia?
The likelihood is, you feel tired because of the surgery not the anesthesia. Any kind of trauma, even surgery, has metabolic cost. That metabolic cost can be experienced as fatigue and lassitude. The duration of that feeling depends on how much trauma the surgery caused. In addition, taking prescription pain meds, such as Percocet, Vicodin, or Norco, can contribute to the feeling of tiredness and fatigue. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD MS READ MORE
Can knee surgery be done under local anesthesia?
Knee replacement surgery cannot be done under local anesthesia, but regional options (spinal, epidural) are available. You should speak to your surgeon and anesthesiologist to get the full picture. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD MS READ MORE
Can anesthesia cause constipation?
With general anesthesia and surgery, patients often are given medications that may contribute to constipation, in particular opioid medications such as morphine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and fentanyl, as well as other similar medications. Surgeons may also prescribe opioid medications for post-operative pain management (Percocet, Norco, Vicodin, etc.). In and of itself, constipation is usually not a serious problem. The best way to manage it is to maintain hydration (drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of fluid daily), have lots of fiber (like fresh leafy vegetables, Metamucil, or Benefiber), take a stool softener such as Colace, and perhaps a mild bowel stimulant like Senna or sennoside teas such as Smooth Move or Triple Ballerina. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD, MS READ MORE
What does being under general anesthesia feel like?
Basically, it doesn’t feel like anything. You are rendered unconscious with no sense of time passing and no consciousness of any of the other senses. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD, MS READ MORE
What should I eat after anesthesia?
That all depends on what surgery you have and if your surgeon has any specific instructions about post-op diet. In general, however, we usually recommend that the first post-op meal be something light and easy to digest. If the light meal is well-tolerated, then you can get back to your regular diet at your discretion. Most people don’t recover their appetites for a few hours after having general anesthesia anyway. A lot of that is dependent on what operation they had. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD MS READ MORE
How long after dental anesthesia can I drink?
Your question is not entirely clear. By dental anesthesia, do you mean local anesthesia (injected to numb the area of need), sedation (as for wisdom tooth extraction or nitrous oxide [laughing gas]), or general anesthesia (as for whole mouth restoration)? And by "drink," do you mean adult beverages, soft drinks, or both? Obviously, you should follow the instructions provided by your dentist. With local anesthesia, you can drink any time, but it's probably best to avoid hot beverages like coffee or tea until the local anesthetic wears off. With sedation you should not have alcoholic beverages or drive or make any legal decisions until at least the next day. Same for general anesthesia. READ MORE
Is it normal to have a bad headache after anesthesia?
Your question is not entirely clear. After general anesthesia some people experience a hangover-type headache for anywhere from a few hours to a day or so. In particular with sinus surgery, though, the headache is more likely due to the surgery than the anesthetic. Treatment is rest and pain medication. Sometimes after spinal anesthesia, patients can experience what is called a post-dural puncture headache. This kind of headache may be absent when lying down, but intense when sitting or standing. Best initial treatment is rest and hydration plus pain medication. If the headache persists for more than 72 hr or is extremely debilitating, a procedure called an epidural blood patch may be required to provide relief. READ MORE
Is knee arthroscopy done under general anesthesia?
Depends on the surgeon. For arthroscopy for repairing or removing a torn meniscus, some surgeons can use local anesthesia effectively along with deep sedation provided by an anesthesiologist. Most, however, prefer that their patients have general anesthesia. For larger procedures like ACL repair surgery, surgeons use a tourniquet around the thigh, and general anesthesia is necessary. Often a nerve block using local anesthesia to numb the nerves to the knee and lower leg is offered by the anesthesiologist in addition for help with post-op pain management. READ MORE
Is general anesthesia used for ankle surgery?
Ankle injuries and fractures are often difficult to treat, and recovery can take a long time. If surgery is necessary, general anesthesia plus a nerve block are used quite often together. This is because the surgery is often complex and takes time and the surgeon will use a tourniquet around the thigh to stop blood circulation into the patient's leg during the surgery. READ MORE
Do doctors put patients to sleep for hand surgery?
Carpal tunnel release surgery usually does not require general anesthesia. Depending on the circumstance, the surgeon, and the operating room, this operation can be accomplished comfortably with mild to moderate sedation, and local anesthesia administered by the surgeon. The surgery itself typically lasts about 30 min or so, with an additional 30-60 min in the recovery room afterwards. The administration of sedation by the anesthesia provider requires an IV, and you should plan on fasting overnight. Do not plan on returning to work the same day as your surgery. Good luck, and I do hope this helps. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD, MS READ MORE
Can you eat before local anesthesia?
If you will be receiving any sedative medication before your local anesthesia, other than the mildest, you will be instructed to fast overnight, or for at least 8 hours before your procedure. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD, MS READ MORE
Is terminal sedation in hospice legal?
This form of sedation is actually not illegal, but the question is does your mother have health care proxy authority for your grandmother? In other words, does she have legal authority to make health care related decisions for your grandmother? If you are uncomfortable with the idea, it might be worthwhile to discuss it with your mother and your grandmother's hospice physician. It can be a highly charged ethical minefield, not unlike so-called "assisted suicide." READ MORE
Is general anesthesia safe for 9 year old child?
Since I do not know the health status of your son specifically, nor did you indicate what operation your son is having, this reply applies to the typical non-obese healthy 9-year-old anticipating a common ambulatory surgical procedure. General anesthesia can be considered a controlled drug-induced coma. I call it “controlled” because the anesthesiologist follows its progress from induction to emergence on a minute-to-minute basis, adding drug X to produce one effect, and perhaps drug Y to produce another effect. The anesthesiologist is actually able to see how the patient responds to the drugs as they are administered. In general, anesthesia medications are administered either according to weight or according to desired effect. All anesthesia medications in clinical use have been extensively tested and have met stringent FDA standards for safety. Bottom line: General anesthesia is safer for a healthy nine year old boy than most daily activities such as crossing a busy street during business hours or eating in a restaurant. Please keep in mind, however, that rare unanticipated events can occur. Could your son have an allergy or experience some other rare reaction to one of the medications he’d be receiving? It’s possible, but likelihood is extremely low. What about rare genetic mutations that can cause problems when patients receive medications called muscle relaxants? That’s just it: they’re mutations, and occur rarely; so rarely in fact that for some of them you’d have to test populations of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, to find someone who is positive. So as with all other things, it’s impossible to assure you with 100% certainty that an injury or an adverse event will not occur with general anesthesia, but what we can say with 100% certainty is that general anesthesia is safe for a healthy 9 year-old boy. READ MORE
Why are anesthesiologists important in hospice care?
I was also involved in hospice for several years. Anesthesiologists are tapped usually because of their skills in symptom management and pain control. They also provide support often for patients who elect terminal sedation. Jay R. Shayevitz, MD READ MORE
Is anesthesia safe for the elderly?
That question is difficult to answer without knowing first, what your grandfather’s overall health status is, and second, what operation he is scheduled to have and for what problem. Assuming your grandfather is relatively healthy (perhaps he takes meds for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and an enlarged prostate) and the surgery is low to moderate risk, he should easily tolerate a general anesthetic. Even with high risk surgery (major vascular surgery, brain surgery, lung surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, major bowel surgery) the risk of the surgery would likely be higher than the anesthesia-related risk. However, if your grandfather is chronically ill with severe medical disease, like kidney failure, heart failure or heart rhythm disturbances, or lung problems like asthma or moderate to severe emphysema for which he takes meds every day, then his anesthesia-related risks are higher overall. Of course his anesthesiologist needs to know about his functional status and medical history in order to be able to determine the safest anesthesia plan for the kind of surgery he is going to have. We find that the pre-operative functional status of a patient is the best predictor of problems during surgery and afterwards. By functional status I mean how well the patient gets around, and how well the patient cares for himself (i.e. does he need a lot of help to manage day-to-day, does he need assistance for activities of daily living, does he live at home or in a nursing home, what is his level of cognitive function). [signature_1984338847] READ MORE
Which anesthesia is used during abdominal hernia surgery?
That depends on what kind of setting your surgery will be performed in (hospital or ambulatory surgery center), what approach the surgeon plans to take (laparoscopic or open surgery, with mesh or without), and how healthy (or unhealthy) you are. So, bottom line: you need to discuss thoroughly with your anesthesiologist your personal health status and functional status (can you walk up a flight or more of stairs without stopping, are you obese, do you have sleep apnea), what medications you take on a regular basis, and whether or not you’ve had any problems in the past that required admission to a hospital or surgery. Your anesthesiologist will then be able to develop a plan for the safest anesthesia tailored to your planned surgery and health status. READ MORE
Do doctors use general anesthesia for all oral surgeries?
You may be unclear about the definition of “general anesthesia.” When we anesthesiologists refer to general anesthesia, we understand that term to mean a state in which the patient has lost consciousness as well as protective reflexes (for example, eye-blinking, coughing), and seems to be insensible to painful stimuli in that the patient has no observable movements when one applies a painful stimulus (pinch, needle poke, or surgical incision). Patients in this state often – though not always – require airway and breathing support to maintain adequate ventilation and blood levels of oxygen. For dental work by oral surgeons, for example extraction of “wisdom teeth,” general anesthesia is not necessary unless there are patient considerations (for example cognitive impairment causing inability to remain still voluntarily, extreme anxiety, or difficulty with sedation because of co-administration of opioid medications, like methadone or suboxone, to patients undergoing opioid withdrawal treatment, which often results in tolerance to opioid and sedative medications). For most office procedures in an oral surgery practice, sedation with injection of local anesthesia to numb the sensory nerves of the teeth, is adequate. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (https://www.asahq.org/standards-and-guidelines/continuum-of-depth-of-sedation-definition-of-general-anesthesia-and-levels-of-sedationanalgesia) defines sedation and general anesthesia as a continuum ranging from mild sedation, or anxiolysis, to moderate sedation, deep sedation, and then general anesthesia. The usual goal in oral surgery procedures is mild to moderate sedation. This goal, in which the patient may be unresponsive to voice, but continues to display intact airway reflexes and adequate spontaneous breathing, can be achieved using either intravenous medications or inhaled nitrous oxide (laughing gas) in a 50% mixture with oxygen. The choice of how to achieve adequate sedation is left to the patient and the oral surgeon. Jay R Shayevitz, MD, MS READ MORE
What is "twilight" anesthesia used for?
“Twilight anesthesia” is the name given to what we call mild to moderate sedation. These terms have specific meanings: mild sedation implies responsiveness to voice or painful stimulation, without the need to support breathing in any way. Moderate sedation implies loss of responsiveness to voice but also with unsupported breathing. The purpose of sedation Is to provide a calm patient without excessive movement. This is not really anesthesia. Anesthesia is usually provided by injections of local anesthetic at the site of the procedure itself, hence these forms of sedation are often referred to as “procedural sedation.” Sedation Is suitable for a limited repertoire of procedures, for example extremity surgery, cardiac catheterization procedures, removal of lumps and bumps with local anesthesia, and some interventions that radiologists perform. READ MORE
Expert Publications
Data provided by the National Library of Medicine- Deep sedation with propofol for children undergoing ambulatory magnetic resonance imaging of the brain: experience from a pediatric intensive care unit.
- Halothane and isoflurane increase pulmonary artery endothelial cell sensitivity
- Mepacrine attenuates pulmonary vasoreactivity in rabbits.
- Volatile anesthetic modulation of lung injury and outcome in a murine model of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.
- Halothane-oxidant interactions in the ex vivo perfused rabbit lung. Fluid conductance and eicosanoid production.
- Age-related differences in heparin sensitivity and heparin-protamine interactions in cardiac surgery patients.
- The activated coagulation time: suitability for monitoring heparin effect and neutralization during pediatric cardiac surgery.
- The FLACC: a behavioral scale for scoring postoperative pain in young children.
- The relationship between extracorporeal circuit prime, albumin, and postoperative weight gain in children.
Areas of expertise and specialization
Faculty Titles & Positions
- Local Public Speaking -
- Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesia -
Internships
- NYP/Columbia University Medical Center
Fellowships
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine- 1985
Professional Society Memberships
- The New York State Society of Anesthesiologists, Medical Society of the State of New York
Articles and Publications
- Published
What do you attribute your success to?
- Hard work.
Hobbies / Sports
- Spending Time With Grandchildren, Sailing
Favorite professional publications
- New England Journal of Medicine
Dr. Jay R. Shayevitz M.D.'s Practice location
Practice At 601 Elmwood Ave Box 604
601 Elmwood Ave Box 604 -Rochester, NY 14642Get Direction
Dr. Jay R. Shayevitz M.D.'s reviews
Write ReviewPatient Experience with Dr. Shayevitz
Media Releases
Dr. Shayevitz graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor in 1978, giving him over four decades of experience in his field. Dr. Shayevitz then completed an internship and residency with the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and Babies Hospital in New York. Wanting to further his experience he completed his fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He also holds a Master of Science Degree in Biostatistics and Clinical Research Design from the University of Michigan. Dr. Shayevitz is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in both Anesthesiology and Pediatric Anesthesiology, and he is also certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He has been awarded as a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is known for his expertise in a pediatric anesthesia, and he also practices in the fields of acute pain management for patients of all ages, critical care medicine, ambulatory anesthesia and hospice and palliative medicine. He currently practices with the Montefiore Medical Center Anesthesia and is an Associate Professor with the Department of Anesthesiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Anesthesiology is the practice of medicine dedicated to the relief of pain and total care of the surgical patient before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine and pain medicine. A pain management specialist evaluates, diagnoses, and treats all different types of pain. Pain is a wide spectrum of disorders including acute pain, chronic pain and cancer pain and sometimes a combination of these. Pain can also arise for many different reasons such as surgery, injury, nerve damage, and metabolic problems such as diabetes. Occasionally, pain can even be the problem all by itself, without any obvious cause at all.
Recommended Articles
- Yawning Scientific Facts: Why Do We Yawn and Is It Contagious?
What is yawning?Usually, yawning is associated with boredom, fatigue, and tiredness. Yawning is also very common in animals, such as dogs, monkeys, snakes, and carnivores. Yawning is also associated with numerous superstitious beliefs.In humans, yawning is considered as a purposeful non-verbal...
- Chemotherapy for Multiple Sclerosis
For those who suffer from multiple sclerosis, there are a lot of treatments available in managing the symptoms. However, there is no complete cure for this disease. The choice of multiple medications depends on person-to-person since every person’s body responds differently to each treatment....
- What Are the Risks of Laminectomy?
Your doctor will first attempt to give you other alternative treatments before recommending surgery. If your back pain still persists after treatment, your doctor may suggest for surgery as one of the solutions. Laminectomy is the most probable surgical procedure that you will have to undergo.Facts...
- What Is the Epiglottis?
What is Epiglottis?Epiglottis is a elastic flap of tissue that is shaped like a thin leaf and situated at the root of the tongue. It protects the opening between the vocal cords, known as the entrance of the glottis. Epiglottis is covered with mucous membrane, which is a yellow elastic cartilage...
- Recovery After a Laminectomy
Laminectomy is a surgical procedure done for the removal of the lamina, bone spurs, and ligaments that may be putting pressure on your spinal nerves and causing lower back pain. The procedure is said to be one of the most commonly performed back surgeries. Below is a detailed information on what...
- Different Types of Physicians Explained
Doctors or physicians are categorized according to different factors including medical specialties and subspecialties. Most doctors specialize in a specific area of medicine. This article provides a summary of the different types of doctors in the medical field. AllergistsAllergists are also...
Nearby Providers
- Dr. Michael J Mulbury MD1425 Portland Ave Rochester NY 14621
- Dr. Allison J Fegley MD1425 Portland Ave Rochester NY 14621
- Dr. Sudhir Giriyappa MD1425 Portland Ave Rochester NY 14621
- Dr. Michael Villareale MD1425 Portland Ave Rochester NY 14621
- Dr. Rajbala Thakur M.D.601 Elmwood Ave Rochester NY 14642
- Dr. Stewart J Lustik M.D.601 Elmwood Ave Rochester NY 14642
Nearest Hospitals
HIGHLAND HOSPITALl
1000 SOUTH AVENUE ROCHESTER NY 14620STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITALl
601 ELMWOOD AVE ROCHESTER NY 14642JACOBI MEDICAL CENTERl
1400 PELHAM PARKWAY SOUTH BRONX NY 10461NORTH CENTRAL BRONX HOSPITALl
3424 KOSSUTH AVENUE & 210TH STREET BRONX NY 10467ST BARNABAS HOSPITALl
4422 THIRD AVENUE BRONX NY 10457