Services

INDUSTRY LEADING HEALTH SERVICES

Anaesthesia

I will do my best to see you in the ward on the day before or the day of your procedure to introduce myself and contact a pre-operative risk assessment and discuss your anaesthetic plan with you.
However, this is not always possible, and I may only meet you when you come through to theatre complex.
I will assess your fitness to undergo the planned procedure and assist your physician or surgeon to optimize of your health for the procedure. I will then be able to plan the best and safest anaesthetic for tailored to you.
My assessment will include a brief medical history, any past anaesthetics, and allergies. Please let me know about any medical co-morbidity or chronic medication that you take. I will then perform a clinical examination and review any investigations, or tests that may be indicated.
Sedative premedication’s are not routinely prescribed in modern practice, but we can discuss the need for them if you feel they will help you.
I will then meet you again in the holding area of the theatre complex where patients wait before going into the operating theatre or procedure room. There are many safety checks and administrative procedure that also take place during this time.
Once we have moved through to the procedure room or operating theatre you will meet other members of the surgical team including the scrub sister. We will help you transfer to the OT bed and then apply monitors, BP cuff on your upper arm, ECG leads to your chest and a special oxygen monitor to your finger as well as any other appropriate monitors. An intravenous cannula will be placed if not already insitu.
You will be asked to breathe deeply through an oxygen mask and then you will be off to sleep shortly thereafter.
Upon waking, you will be with a recovery nurse and monitoring in the post-anaesthetic care unit until you are fully awake and comfortable, I will assess you and confirm you are ready to be discharged back to your ward. You will have ample medications to prevent and treat any pain or other distressing symptoms once you have returned to the ward.
I will ensure that you are safe and comfortable throughout your journey to and from theatre.

Critical Care

I work as part of a critical care that will care for you during your ICU or High Care ward stay. Admission to the ICU or High Care ward allows us to monitor you and your health in a much more continuous and intensive manner. With increased nursing ratios and continuous monitoring, we can pick up small changes in your condition and intervene before they become problems.
The team may consist of your surgeon or physician as well as other specialists who we may ask to be part of your treating team. In ICU and HighCare I am also able to offer organ specific support to you in the form of ventilation to support your respiratory/breathing system, specific medications that support your cardiovascular system as well as any other organ support you may require during your admission and recovery. These may also include renal replacement therapy or dialysis.
The team looking after you will also consist of specially trained nursing staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapist, and dieticians.