What is an Anaesthetist?

“Anaesthetists are highly qualified specialist doctors with unique clinical knowledge and skills.  They have a major role in the perioperative care of surgical patients and are closely involved in other important fields of medicine such as resuscitation, intensive care medicine, pain medicine, retrieval, disaster response and hyperbaric medicine.  Core anaesthesia practice involves assessing patients thoroughly and applying both physiological and pharmacological knowledge to best are for them through surgery” (The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, ANZCA)

What is Anaesthesia?

There are several types of anaesthesia:

General Anaesthesia produces a drug-induced unconscious state.  You will be unconscious and feel no pain during your procedure.

Local Anaesthesia involves an injection of a local anaesthetic drug to numb the area being operated on.  You will be awake but will feel no pain.  Local Anaesthesia may be combined with sedation.

Sedation involves the administration of drugs to make you relaxed and drowsy.  Often referred to as “twilight sedation” it is often used for eye procedures and gastroenterological procedures. Most patients will have little or no recall of events.

Regional Anaesthesia involves a nerve block which numbs the part of the body the surgeon will be operating on.  You may be awake or sedated.  Epidural in labour, spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section and eye blocks for cataract surgery are examples of regional anaesthesia.

Anaesthesia and You Brochure

The Anaesthesia and You Brochure will provide you with information on what types of anaesthesia may be used, information on what to do before and after your procedure, possible risks and information regarding fees

Download the Anaesthesia and You Brochure