File 2007 / AP

Everson Walls, left, and Ron Springs are honored before the Sept. 9 Cowboys game.

DALLAS - While the Ron Springs' lawsuit has spurred questions in relation to the specific anesthesiologist that is being sued by Springs' wife, questions concerning anesthesiologist in general have also sprung up.

A former Dallas Cowboy that once rushed for Super Bowl glory, Ron Springs slipped into a coma after routine surgery.

Now, many people are asking how an anesthesiologist that was fresh out of his residency got assigned to the celebrity patient.

Lawyers say the anesthesiologist responsible for Ron Springs during a cyst removal, which left him in a coma, was working for Texas Anesthesia Group. In fact, surgeons typically align themselves with one group, using whoever they assign to a case or requesting a specific doctor.

"Surgical and anesthesia teams work together," said Dr. Michael Ramsey, chief of anesthesiology at Baylor. "So, the surgeon knows who the anesthesiologist is."

While Ramsey said that is "virtually" always the case, he also said there are emergency cases that lead to a different process for using an anesthesiologist.

Ramsey said patients often don't realize they have a say too.

Rather than meeting one's anesthesiologist minutes before going under the knife, patients can meet with their anesthesiologist when their surgery is scheduled

"These are times when the patient really should be asking questions," Ramsey said. "What are your qualifications? Are you board certified? If you're a board-certified anesthesiologist, have you kept up with your boards? Have you maintained them? What's your experience? Have you worked with this team before? I mean, these are questions you need to know."

Most of that that information can be checked on the Texas Medical Board web site, which plainly shows a doctor's education, experience, whether they've been sued, have a criminal record or faced punishment by the state board.

Doctors say knowing the anesthesiologist is just as vital as having trust in the surgeon.

E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com