A is for… Anesthesiologist

If you’ve never come across an anesthesiologist, you could be considered lucky. Anesthesiology is a medical specialty dedicated to not only helping put people into a drug-induced sleep so they can have surgery, but to pain relief.

An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who has completed all the medical school and internship/residency requirements to practice medicine, but their residency is at least five years long and focuses on anesthesiology.

What do they learn?

Anesthesiologists need to know how everything works in your body and how the different body systems will react to the different medications and treatments used in anesthesiology. Not only do they have to know how to manage the anesthesia for all types of patients (with a wide variety of health issues, as well as body types), they also have to know how to react in an emergency, such as resuscitation.

Treating patients

It’s often been said that anesthesiologists may choose that work because they don’t have to have a good bedside manner – but this isn’t true for the most part. If you are going to have surgery, generally, you will be visited by the anesthesiologist assigned to your case before your surgery. This is necessary because he or she will need to read your chart, examine you, and ask questions so there are no surprises when it comes to your medical history. As well, this is your chance to ask questions.

You’ll also find anesthesiologists in many maternity wards as it is they who perform epidurals while a woman is in labor or for a Cesarean section. Of course, there are times when a C-section must be done under a general anesthetic, so that’s another reason why they are around.

Pain management

More and more anesthesiologists are also specializing in pain management and running pain clinics . The type of work and research that has gone into pain management for surgery and childbirth has made many anesthesiologists the perfect type of doctor for pain control of chronic pain.

So, then what’s a nurse anesthetist?

Ah, that’s a good question. A nurse anesthetist isn’t an anesthestiologist and doesn’t usually take the place of an anesthesiologist. That being said, a nurse anesthetist is often a very important team member. He or she is a registered nurse and an advanced practice nurse, who has gone on to learn about anesthesia and usually works with an anesthesiologist. In the United States, nurse anesthetists are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).

The responsibilities of a CRNA varies from state to state and from country to country. For the most part, they administer certain types of anesthetic, can order and medications, and even run pain control clinics.

Anesthesiology is a medical field that you generally don’t have much contact with if you’re relatively healthy, but they play a very important role in your healthcare when it counts.

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Images: iStock