Anaesthesiology
At Sancheti Hospital, the Department of Anaesthesiology has highly qualified and experienced specialists.
We treat patients of all age groups – from Paediatric to Geriatic – i.e. from newborns to elderly patients.
Also, we use advanced medical techniques and modern facilities and our qualified and experienced anaesthiologists treat every case with the same dedication and same sense of responsibility.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Is Pre-op assessment necessary?
A: Elective patients should meet the anaesthetist in advance; this helps to solve your queries as well as the anaesthetist’s queries.
Q: Do I have to tell my anaesthetist my medical history?
A: Yes. It is very necessary to tell your anaesthetist your complete medical history, so that he can plan the ideal anaesthesia for your surgery.
Q: What are the fasting guidelines?
A: We suggest fasting from midnight (12 am) for the morning pre-operative cases. For other pre-operative cases, fasting 10 hours before the operation is recommended we also advise our patients to have light food and avoid heavy dinners.
Q: What about post-operative fasting?
A:One needs to fast for 4-6 hours after the surgery.
Q: How is post-op pain managed?
A: Pain relief is provided in the form of epidural analgesia, systemic opiods or NSAID or Nerve Block catheters.
Q: What are the different types of anaesthesia?
A: There are four types of anaesthesia viz. General Anaesthesia, Regional Anaesthesia, Epidural Anaesthesia and Spinal Anaesthesia.
Q: What is spinal anaesthesia?
A: Spinal anaesthesia is an injection of medication given in the lower part of the back, into the space surrounding the spinal cord. A very small special needle is used to inject the medication into the spinal fluid, so that it spreads out to numb the nerves of the lower half of the body. Contrary to popular belief, spinal anaesthesia does not hurt; in fact it is no more painful than having an injection.
Q: What is Epidural anaesthesia?
A: Epidural anaesthesia, commonly known as epidural, is used to numb the upper or lower half of the body. Anaesthetic medication is injected into the epidural space of the spine. Chest, abdomen, pelvic area and legs are some of the areas that can be numbed by an epidural. We routinely insert epidural catheters through which pain relief medications can be given for 48 hours with the help of elastomeric pumps.
Q: Could I wake up during surgery?
A: There are ways to monitor the signs through which we can assess how deeply under anaesthesia you are, so awareness under anaesthesia is extremely rare and every precaution will be taken to ensure that you will have no perception of the surgery.
Q: Will spinal anaesthesia induce backache?
A: Since very thin needle is used for spinal anaesthesia the patient rarely gets any backache because of this technique.
Q: How will I recover from anaesthesia?
A: Recovery from anaesthesia does not take long period of time. We use short acting and latest drugs. Hence to contrary belief, patients recover from anaesthesia rapidly. However allergic reaction to anaesthetic agent may happen despite all the precautions.