Our Anaesthetists are senior medically qualified doctors who have completed postgraduate speciality training and are Consultants at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.
We are responsible for your safety and well-being before, during and after your operation. We will ensure that you are fit for surgery and talk to you about the type of anaesthetic you will receive. If there are choices available, we will help you select the most appropriate one for you and your surgery. We are responsible for your pain relief during and after your operation which is important to help you recover as quickly as possible.
You will be invited for a preoperative assessment before your surgery by the private hospital. This will either be in person or over the telephone. Any queries or concerns over your health will be flagged up by a specialist nurse and referred to one of our Consultant led pre-assessment clinics. At this clinic, a Consultant Anaesthetist will review any concerns and make recommendations based on national guidance. They may need to offer you a face-to-face consultation for further assessment and discussions on risk. We work closely with your Consultant Surgeon and other Medical Consultant colleagues to ensure that any health issues are optimised before your surgery.
There is good evidence that fitter, healthier patients recover from surgery more quickly with less complications. Examples of small changes that can be made include increased physical activity, eating more healthily and trying to reduce (or stop) smoking and drinking alcohol. If you have an existing medical problem, we recommend checking with your GP surgery whether there is anything you can do to improve it in advance of your surgery.
The Royal College of Anaesthetists resources on how you can prepare for your operation can be found in the links below.
You will meet your Consultant Anaesthetist on the day of surgery. They will review your preoperative assessment and ask some further questions to complete their assessment. They will discuss the type of anaesthetic you can have, including benefits, risks and your preferences. This will also depend on the type of surgery and any medical problems you have, allowing you to decide together on an anaesthetic plan that is best for you. A ‘premed’ may be prescribed – this could be pain relief or drugs to reduce stomach acid or anxiety.
On arrival in the theatre suite, you will be taken to a room where the anaesthetic is administered. A cannula (a thin plastic tube) will be inserted into a blood vessel on the back of your hand or arm. This will be used to give the anaesthetic and any other drugs required during and after surgery. Advanced monitoring equipment will be attached to assess your condition continuously throughout the operation and you will be given oxygen to breathe via a mask.
Once injected into the cannula, the anaesthetic should take effect very quickly. You'll start feeling light-headed, before becoming unconscious within a minute or so. Your anaesthetist will stay with you throughout the procedure. They'll make sure you continue to receive the anaesthetic and that you remain asleep. Appropriate pain relief and anti-sickness medications will be given to you during surgery to ensure that you are as comfortable and nausea-free as possible afterwards.
After your operation, your Consultant Anaesthetist will wake you up and you will be taken to the recovery room where your care will be handed over to a specialist nurse. You will be kept fully monitored and regularly assessed to ensure you are as comfortable as possible until you are deemed safe to be escorted back to the ward. Your Consultant Anaesthetist will review you on the ward later in the day to assess you clinically, ensure your pain relief is optimised and to answer any questions you may have.
Generally, a degree of pain or discomfort may be expected during your recovery. Pain-relief will be prescribed by your Consultant Anaesthetist, to be given whilst on the ward and also to take at home. If you are still needing pain relief two weeks after discharge from the hospital, you should get in touch with your GP to discuss this further.
You should contact your GP or the hospital where you had your surgery if:
If you feel very unwell, you should go to your nearest emergency department as soon as possible.
All our Consultant Anaesthetists who provide anaesthesia for children in Private Practice also work with children at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. They are skilled and experienced in dealing with the concerns and worries of children and their carers.
The Royal College of Anaesthetists has several excellent resources which will provide you with information and help you prepare your child for their anaesthetic.
