ABOUT ANAESTHESIA
What is an Anaesthetist?
An anaesthetist provides medication (anaesthesia) to patients to prevent undue pain or discomfort during operations and procedures.
The anaesthetist’s role is to ensure your safety during surgery, as well as deliver the best possible pain management after your operation.
Whether you are coming in for simple body surface surgery or complex major surgical procedures, your anaesthetist will play a central role in your care before, during and after your surgery. They assess your anaesthetic needs and use sophisticated equipment to monitor the delivery and depth of anaesthesia.
If your procedure requires a general anaesthetic, your anaesthetist will stay with you at all times and closely monitor all vital signs throughout your procedure.
You can feel confident about the qualifications of the anaesthetist who will care for you during surgery and their ability to keep you safe.
Specialist anaesthetists in Australia are among the world’s most highly trained doctors, having spent years undergoing specialist training in anaesthesia, pain management, resuscitation and managing medical emergencies.
While anaesthetic care during surgical procedures makes up the core of their speciality work, an anaesthetist may also be involved in:
- Patient stabilisation in the emergency department
- Pain relief during childbirth
- Intensive care medicine
- Pain management and medication
- Other medical situations that require sedation and anaesthesia outside of the operating theatre.
