|
 Anesthesia allows patients to undergo surgery and other procedures without the distress and pain they would otherwise experience. An alternative definition is a "reversible lack of awareness," or a lack of awareness of a part of the body such as a spinal anesthetic.
The role of the anesthesiologist is no longer limited to the operation itself — Many anesthesiologists function as perioperative physicians, ensuring optimal analgesia and maintenance of physiologic homeostasis throughout the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods. Anesthesiologists may elect to subspecialize in anesthesia for particular types of surgery (cardiothoracic, obstetrical, neurosurgical, pediatric), regional anesthesia, acute or chronic pain medicine, or Intensive Care Medicine.
|
