Your anaesthetic will be given to you by a specialist doctor called an anaesthetist.

Anaesthesia care falls into three parts: pre-operative visit, care during surgery and postoperative care in the recovery room. 

Preoperative visit on the day of surgery

The anaesthetist and patient will meet on the day of surgery and occasionally before if you are already in hospital.

The anaesthetist will make the final anaesthetic plan with you. It is their job to assess your suitability for the various types of anaesthetic.

Both the nurses and doctor in the clinic ask about the following conditions, and the anaesthetist on the day of surgery may seek further information about any abnormal findings with you:

• general health, particularly heart and breathing problems
• previous anaesthetics received and any complications associated with these events
• previous general medical history
• medications, including which pills have been taken on the day
• allergies to drugs or lotions
• social habits e.g. smoking and alcohol consumption and exercise ability
• any health changes that have occurred since the pre-assessment appointment.

A physical examination of your heart and lungs will be carried out. Your neck will be checked for shape and your mouth for loose teeth or caps. These are checked because if a breathing tube is to be inserted, it can sometimes be difficult to insert depending on the shape of the neck and mouth and also to prevent damage to teeth in the process.

The anaesthetist may occasionally prescribe a pre-med, which is a medication taken prior to surgery, designed to aid in relaxation.

Care During Surgery

During the operation the anaesthetist's main roles are as follows:

• to optimise the conditions to make surgery as safe as possible for each patient
• to prevent pain - achieved by administration of pain relief agents appropriate for you and for the extent and duration of the operation. These may include pain relief medicines or nerve blocks to help numb the areas involved with the surgery
• to monitor oxygenation - this means ensuring that all vital organs are being adequately supplied with oxygen. This is assessed by skin colour, heart rate and your level of consciousness
• for patients having general anaesthetics, monitoring your breathing - assessed by the respiratory rate, volume of each breath and the inhaled and exhaled carbon dioxide concentrations. The anaesthetic gas and oxygen are delivered together either via a mask or breathing tube. If a mask is used the patient usually breathes on their own. If a breathing tube is used the patient may breathe on their own or be mechanically ventilated using an artificial ventilator
• to monitor circulation - during the operation, intravenous fluids and/or blood products are administered if necessary. Circulation is assessed by blood pressure, urine output and skin temperature
• to monitor the depth of anaesthesia when you are asleep.

Postoperative Care

When your operation is over, you will be taken to a special recovery area where your condition will be monitored as you wake up from the anaesthetic.

The anaesthetic team will work with specialised nurses in PACU to make you comfortable and stable to facilitate the recovery after surgery.