ANAESTHESIOLOGY

Anaesthesiology is the branch of medicine that deals with methods of blocking pain, and supporting the patient’s life systems during anaesthesia and surgery. Anaesthesiologists can induce unconsciousness during surgical procedures and can also perform cardiac and respiratory resuscitation when necessary.

Common forms of anesthesia

• General anaesthesia – used for major surgery and results in a reversible loss of consciousness
• Local anaesthesia – used for localized areas of the body and results in a reversible loss of sensation in the affected part of the body
• Regional anaesthesia – used where the spinal cord and nerves of certain sections of the body are blocked, resulting in a reversible loss of sensation and possibly movement in a region of the body
• Sedation – used for minor surgery