Anaesthesiology

Anaesthesiology is used to prevent patients from feeling pain while undergoing surgery and other medical procedures. It is performed by Anaesthetists. Their major role is in providing anaesthesia during surgery. They prepare patients for surgery. They talk to patients and assess them to decide on the most appropriate form of anaesthesia. At the Bridgewater Hospital the role of the Anaesthetist during surgery procedures is to:-

Administer general anaesthesia, which makes patients become unconscious. They observe patients during operations, monitor their progress and respond to any changes. They then bring patients to full consciousness after the procedure, and make sure that they have appropriate pain-relief medication and fluid replacement as they recover.
Administer local anaesthesia, which makes specific parts of the body feel numb. An example is when relieving pain in childbirth.
Prescribe sedation for patients who are about to undergo certain procedures, such as radiology.

A number of our Anaesthetists also specialise in Pain Management. They provide effective treatments for patients who have pain unrelated to surgery.