What is anaesthesia?

Q. What is anaesthesia? The word "anaesthesia" means "without feeling". Anaesthesia is when a person is rendered unconscious for the purpose of allowing surgery to take place. It is a complicated process, involving management of consciousness, maintaining an open airway and vital body functions such as breathing and blood pressure, pain management and many more facets. Anaesthesia is considered a "critical care" specialty due to the potential for serious adverse effects when delivered by untrained professionals.
The practice of anaesthesia requires a combination of clinical interventions by an anaesthetist that allows the patient to have their procedure undertaken with minimal discomfort and distress. It is the anaesthetist's role to assess you or your child and their health in the context of the procedure to determine the best strategy to ensure their comfort and safety before, during, and after their procedure.
The anaesthetist stays with the patient throughout the entire procedure administering medication and managing consciousness, comfort, breathing, and heart function to ensure the safest and most comfortable outcome possible.