The role of the anesthesiologist in the care of the surgical patient

The article is made by Specialist Doctor II, Master, Doctor Nguyen Tat Binh - Head of Anesthesia Department and operating room - Department of Surgical Anesthesia - Vinmec Central Park International Hospital.

The role of the anesthesiologist is not only to ensure that the patient sleeps deeply and painlessly during surgery, now, with the development of medicine and technical means, the role of the doctor Anesthesiology is also about providing medical care and counseling in a variety of settings and situations other than the operating room.

Anesthesiologists today are considered as "perioperative" doctors with the meaning that they take comprehensive care of patients from the pre-operative stage such as examination, assessment of the patient's health status and general discussion. with surgeons to plan the safest surgery for the patient. Anesthesiologists are also the ones who will put the patient into a “sedation” state that includes providing sleep, pain control, support and maintaining vital functions throughout the surgery. And finally, anesthesiologists will coordinate care and control pain after surgery so that the patient can quickly recover and be discharged from the hospital.

The process of anesthesia and surgery often affects the entire health of the patient. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that anesthesiologists know as much as possible about their patients so that they can select an appropriate and safe anesthetic plan.
First, the anesthesiologist will perform a preoperative examination and consultation. During this consultation, doctors will ask the patient detailed questions about the history of surgical anesthesia, consider the effects of medications being used on the surgery, allergies and other medical conditions. comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea... The anesthesiologist will also check the preoperative evaluation tests and plan the appropriate anesthesia. Patients will be discussed the benefits and risks of anesthesia. At the end of the anesthesia session, the doctors often instruct how to fast before surgery, teach breathing exercises to prepare for a good respiratory function before surgery... If the patient feels anxious, sleepless before surgery. During surgery, doctors will prescribe anxiety relievers so that the patient can be in the most comfortable mood before the surgery.
The preparation for surgery is not just about examining the patient. The anesthesiologists will continue to work with the surgeons to develop a comprehensive plan for the patient's early recovery. The coordination between the anesthesiologist and the surgeon in this plan is key to the success of ensuring that the patient can be safely discharged from the hospital early.

The care and protection of the patient during surgery is one of the key duties of an anesthesiologist. After administering anesthesia to the patient, doctors will be responsible for protecting and avoiding pressure points on the patient and closely monitoring vital vital functions such as cardiovascular and respiratory. In cases of complicated or critical surgery, anesthesiologists will conduct active resuscitation such as blood transfusion, use of resuscitative drugs to ensure the maintenance of vital functions. surgery with peace of mind until the end of the operation.

The role of the anesthesiologist does not stop after the operation is over. The early recovery of the patient also has an important contribution of the anesthesiologist. Good pain control after surgery will help patients move early, so that they can recover soon after surgery. With multimodal pain relief techniques including regional anesthetic techniques, the patient can move well, limiting the unwanted effects of narcotic drugs such as nausea, urinary retention, itching.. Anesthesiologists will examine and assess pain for patients after surgery to provide the best quality of pain relief and satisfaction.
Vinmec International General Hospital is proud to be one of the pioneers in applying local anesthetic techniques to relieve pain after surgery, bringing satisfaction to patients about the quality of pain relief during and after surgery. The vertebral plane analgesia (ESPB) techniques have helped patients recover early from open-heart surgery, mastectomy, and reconstruction. The technique of anesthesia of the lumbar squamous cavity (QLB) has helped pregnant women to move soon after cesarean section.

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