Dr. Matthew Vanneman, an attending cardiothoracic anesthesiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital, returns for this episode.   We explore pro and con positions on pre-operative anxiolytics.  Pro claim: Preoperative anxiolytics improve patient satisfaction.  Con claim: Preoperative anxiolytics delay recovery and discharge. We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or tweet us @DepthAnesthesia.  -- References C. Boncyk, A. S. Hess, A. Gaskell, J. Sleigh, R. D. Sanders, on behalf of the ConsCIOUS group, Does benzodiazepine administration affect patient satisfaction: a secondary analysis of the ConCIOUS study, BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia, Volume 118, Issue 2, February 2017, Pages 266–267, https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aew456 Kain ZN, Sevarino FB, Rinder C, et al. Preoperative anxiolysis and postoperative recovery in women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. Anesthesiology 2001;94:415–22. Maurice-Szamburski A, Auquier P, Viarre-Oreal V, et al; for the PremedX Study Investigators. Effect of sedative premedication on patient experience after general anesthesia: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.1108  Richardson MG, Wu CL, Hussain A. Midazolam premedication increases sedation but does not prolong discharge times after brief outpatient general anesthesia for laparoscopic tubal sterilization. Anesth Analg. 1997;85:301–5. van Vlymen JM, Sá Rêgo MM, White PF. Benzodiazepine premedication: can it improve outcome in patients undergoing breast biopsy procedures? Anesthesiology 1999; 90:740. Walker KJ, Smith  AF. Premedication for anxiety in adult day surgery. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD002192. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002192.pub2.