The information on this section of the webpage is adapted from the South African Society of Anaesthesiologist’s website www.sasaweb.com. Click on any FAQ below to see explanation.
Who is an anaesthesiologist and what qualifications does he have?
An anaesthesiologist is a medical doctor with a medical degree (MBChB – Baccalaureus degree in Medicine and Baccalaureus degree in Surgery) and an additional specialist qualification in Anaesthesia, intensive care and pain management (MMed or FCA). In total it takes a minimum of 12 years of intensive training to become a specialist Anaesthesiologist.
Initial training to become a medical practitioner (a doctor) takes 6 years to complete. Following another 1 to 3 years of compulsory medical service in the government sector, most of these doctors spend some years as a general practitioner (GP) before they make the decision to specialise in Anaesthesiology. In order to be allowed to receive a specialist registrar post, the doctor needs to first obtain the Diploma in Anaesthesiology (DA), this takes 6 months to 1 year to complete. If the doctor gets accepted at University, 4 years of specialist training starts. After this time, and provided the required examinations have been passed, the doctor becomes an Anaesthesiologist with either a Masters degree in Medicine (MMed) or he may become a Fellow of the College of Anaesthesiologists of South Africa (FCA). These qualifications are equivalent.
All doctors who are affiliated with Haumann & Partners are Specialist Anaesthesiologists.
Why must I stay fasted (not eating) before anaesthesia?
You will be warned by your surgeon not to eat or drink before your surgery. This is important! It is extremely dangerous to disregard this or to conceal from your anaesthesiologist that you have eaten. Why is this? Anaesthesia relaxes the functional valve system preventing regurgitation of stomach contents into the throat; if there is food residue in your stomach this may enter your lungs leading to major damage and even death. The following guidelines should only be disregarded in the case of emergency surgery:
Adults:
Do not eat within 6 hours of your anaesthetic. It is preferable not to eat on the day of your surgery even when this is scheduled for the afternoon unless you have been given specific permission to do so. Note: This does not mean that you cannot take your medications. If you are taking anti-hypertensives, anti-anginal drugs or anti-epileptics these should be taken with a small amount of water (25 ml) 2 hours before your surgery. If your surgery is scheduled later you may drink water or clear fluids (apple juice, black tea or coffee, coke etc) up to two hours before the anaesthetic.
Children:
Children become distressed when hungry or thirsty and should not be starved unnecessarily. The following are safe but should not be reduced:
No food within 6 hours of surgery
No formula feed within 6 hours of surgery
No breast milk within 4 hours of surgery
Clear fluids (water, apple juice, cordials without fruit cells) may be given up to two hours before surgery.
Please remember that the order of the surgical slate may be changed, so that the times above should be taken as starting from the beginning of the slate, usually 07h30 in the morning or 13h00 in the afternoon.
What is informed consent?
This means that you are informed about options regarding treatment, general and more serious risks involved in the treatment, as well as pro’s and cons and the result of being treated or not. You should also be given the opportunity to ask questions. Written consent is usually required, except in extreme emergencies.
What must I tell my anaesthesiologist?
It is important to answer all questions honestly and truthfully. These questions are related to your health and any medical condition that may pose a risk. You will be asked questions about your next of kin’s medical history, medication, smoking habits, drug habits, previous anaesthetics etc.
Why do I need a "pre operative assessment" and what does it entail?
The effect of anaesthetic drugs is influenced by numerous factors. Age of patient, weight, pregnancy, race, alcohol consumption, tobacco, medication, drugs, kidney- and liver diseases are but a few examples. In some instances certain anaesthetic drugs should not be administered at all.
Some medical conditions increase the risk of anaesthesia, e.g. heart diseases. Although seldomly experienced, Malignant Hyperthermia is one example where anaesthesia can be fatal if not administered correctly. Anaesthesia and surgery can affect all the systems of the body, therefore it is vitally important that the anaesthesiologist should be informed of all medical conditions you may have. This will enable him to use the most effective method.
May I have medication to help me relax before my procedure?
In some patients, a “pre-med” is prescribed. This is normally a drug that calms the patient and reduces anxiety. For young healthy patients undergoing short procedures on a day-patient basis, this is often omitted as patients are usually eager to be discharged as soon as possible. If, however, you are at all anxious about your surgery, please ask your anaesthetist to prescribe a pre-med. This medication however are only prescribed if the anaesthesiologist deems it safe to do so. Some patients may have a contra-indication to premed for example those with sleep apnoea syndrome. It is important to remember that these drugs take about 90 minutes to take effect and can only be prescribed if the anaesthetist has seen you in the ward. So the bottom line… get admitted as early as possible if you require a pre-med.
What are the most common side effectss of anaesthesia?
Sore throat: This is due to the breathing tube in your throat during anaesthesia. At least 95% of all patients have some or other tube in the throat during anaesthesia. This causes friction during breathing, hence the sore throat. Please note – nothing went wrong with the anaesthesia.
Pain: This is due to the surgical procedure. Most anaesthesiologists administer pain medication during the procedure. He will also prescribe medication post-operative. Please ask – it is unnecessary to suffer pain.
Nausea and vomiting: There are various reasons for this e.g. the type of operation, your pre-operative condition, the use of pain killers as well as the use of anaesthetics. Some anaesthesiologists will administer “anti-nausea” medication during the procedure, but medication will also be prescribed post-operatively.
Drowsiness after the procedure: Some patients are very sensitive to anaesthetics. Everybody reacts differently – some people need more than others. Longer procedures also influence the post-operative recovery.
Less serious side-effects may include:
Dry mouth or temporary breathing problems.
Itchiness, bruising or pain at the spot of injection.
Rash due to plasters or medication.
Sore neck, sore or dry eyes.
Pain in arms or legs due to the positioning during the operation.
You may also feel cold and shaky.
These side-effects usually do not last long and do not need any treatment.
How can my pain be managed after an operation?
The anaesthesiologist is armed with a vast array of methods to control post-operative pain. These range from the administration of systemic analgesics (painkillers) to the performance of various forms of regional anaesthesia. Regional anaesthesia involves the science of injecting local anaesthetics around the nerves which supply the area upon which surgery is to be performed, thus “numbing” the area.
This website cannot contain detailed descriptions of all these methods. It is the right of our patients to discuss the pro’s and con’s of each with the anaesthesiologist prior to surgery.
What is regional anaesthesia or a "pain block"?
Regional anaesthesia is the science of injecting local anaesthetic drugs around the nerves that supply sensation to the area of your surgery. This is referred to as a “nerve block”. Nerve blocks can be performed as the sole form of analgesia (in other words, the “block” is performed with the patient awake and provides sufficient pain relief for the surgery to be performed with the patient awake) or as supplemental analgesia (the patient is given a general anaesthetic for the surgery and the “block” is performed purely for post operative pain relief).
See more information about the different types of regional anaesthesia like spinals, epidurals, upper limb blocks and lower limb blocks under Information leaflets.
What is "patient controlled anaesthesia" or a "pain pump"?
“PCA” stands for patient controlled analgesia.
Following surgery, the patient is connect to a P.C.A machine. This piece of equipment constantly provides the patient with a sustained level of pain relief. However, what makes P.C.A. unique is that the machine has a push button. When pressed by the patient, this push button asks the machine to give the patient an additional dose of pain killer.
This leaves the patient truly in control of his/her own pain treatment. There is no need to ask nursing staff to administer pain medication. The P.C.A. machines are individually programmed by the anaesthesiologist in theatre. This programme includes certain safety mechanisms so that it is virtually impossible for the patient to administers “too much” medication. The controls of the P.C.A. machine are also locked electronically by the anaesthesiologist so that the settings cannot be changed by anyone else.
Mediclinic Bloemfontein
Suite G10
C/o Parfitt and Kellner st
Westdene
Bloemfontein
9301
Main: 051 444 3171
Fax: 051 444 3884
Monday-Friday 8AM to 5PM,
Closed on Public Holidays.
All our partners are members of the
South African Society of Anaesthesiologists.
Copyright © Haumann & Partners. Website Design and Hosting by OOWEBOO
