Which medical speciality is concerned with perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery?

Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, anaesthesia or anaesthetics, is the medical speciality concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, and pain medicine.

The core element of the specialty is the study and use of anesthesia and anesthetics to safely support a patient's vital functions through the perioperative period. Since the 19th century, anesthesiology has developed from an experimental area with non-specialist practitioners using novel, untested drugs and techniques into what is now a highly refined, safe and effective field of medicine.

In some countries, anesthesiologists comprise the largest single cohort of doctors in hospitals, and their role can extend far beyond the traditional role of anesthesia care in the operating room, including fields such as providing pre-hospital emergency medicine, running intensive care units, transporting critically ill patients between facilities, and prehabilitation programs to optimize patients for surgery.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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13 Comments

Marian Spitzig

I don’t know that anesthesiologists in the US would agree with tis. They are only concerned with the general health to ascertain the proper meds to use during surgery. They only look over records.

Bob Miller

Well, I kknow what perioperative care is and I know what anesthesiology is and anesthesiology may be a small portion of perioperative bu it is NOT anywhere in teh definition or what we would think of as the broader context. Good question, bad answer. If the question were to ahve been which of the following is part of perioperative care it would be legit

Wyla Reedy

It's amazing how quick you go out. Coming out from being under, is almost a mystical experience.

Char

I knew it was pre just not the rest..hmm I've had several surgeries..3 to be exact

Val Wilkinson

silrem, That sounds wrong but then I am used to an anaesthetitist- they clearly have a different , more extensive range of responsibilities than the american anaesthesiologist

Val Wilkinson

Marian Spitzig, it would be negligent if all they did were to look over records and not interview and assess them! As Irma Rivera referred to, your life is in the hand of the anaesthetitist.

budderdudder

They are very expensive and they are also cautious. I have found that they will not sign on to procedures that are a liability to them, i.e. elderly patients.

Dena Barrett

This question and answer is the perfect example of why Wikpedia is NOT an acceptable or credible source for information. This answer is copied exactly from Wipedia and isn't accurate.