general information:
IN the theatre
Transfer to the Operating Theatre
You have now been through the process of admission to the hospital and the ward routine and you are ready to be transferred to the operating room. In most hospitals, you will be accompanied by a porter and a nursing staff member from your ward.
Upon arrival in the operating suite, you will be met by a member of the recovery room staff. This staff member, along with the ward staff, will verify your personal information. They will confirm with you the nature of your surgery and, in the case of limb surgery, whether it is to be performed on the left or the right. Do not be alarmed by this. It is merely a system of checks and double checks to ensure your safety
You have now been through the process of admission to the hospital and the ward routine and you are ready to be transferred to the operating room. In most hospitals, you will be accompanied by a porter and a nursing staff member from your ward.
Upon arrival in the operating suite, you will be met by a member of the recovery room staff. This staff member, along with the ward staff, will verify your personal information. They will confirm with you the nature of your surgery and, in the case of limb surgery, whether it is to be performed on the left or the right. Do not be alarmed by this. It is merely a system of checks and double checks to ensure your safety
In the Operating Theatre
Welcome to the theatre! This is where we, as Anaesthesiologists, spend our days …. and often our nights. To you it may be a strange and even frightening place. To us, it is merely our place of work just like your office is to you.
You may be surprised to see so many people in the room, but rest assured that each member of the team is there to look after you. Apart from the Anaesthesiologist, there will be an anaesthetic nurse. This is a specially trained member of the nursing staff whose sole role it is to assist the Anaesthesiologist. The "scrub" sister is a highly qualified person who helps the Surgeon by preparing all the necessary instruments and having them on hand. By the time you enter the theatre, she will often be "scrubbed" and wearing her gown, gloves, mask and cap. Assisting the "scrub" sister is the "floor nurse" whose job it is to fetch any additional equipment the surgical team might require. Finally, in certain types of surgery, a technician may also be present in the theatre.
The anaesthesia team will now prepare you for your anaesthetic.
Welcome to the theatre! This is where we, as Anaesthesiologists, spend our days …. and often our nights. To you it may be a strange and even frightening place. To us, it is merely our place of work just like your office is to you.
You may be surprised to see so many people in the room, but rest assured that each member of the team is there to look after you. Apart from the Anaesthesiologist, there will be an anaesthetic nurse. This is a specially trained member of the nursing staff whose sole role it is to assist the Anaesthesiologist. The "scrub" sister is a highly qualified person who helps the Surgeon by preparing all the necessary instruments and having them on hand. By the time you enter the theatre, she will often be "scrubbed" and wearing her gown, gloves, mask and cap. Assisting the "scrub" sister is the "floor nurse" whose job it is to fetch any additional equipment the surgical team might require. Finally, in certain types of surgery, a technician may also be present in the theatre.
The anaesthesia team will now prepare you for your anaesthetic.
Monitoring during the Anaesthetic
By the time you arrive in the theatre, the Anaesthesiologist and his / her nurse will have already spent a great deal of time checking and double checking all the equipment. Throughout your anaesthetic, the Anaesthesiologists will never leave your side. He / she is constantly monitoring your vital signs every few minutes and these are recorded on the anaesthesia case record.
The anaesthesia team will now connect you to various monitors. These are absolutely routine and are nothing to be alarmed about. Three (sometimes five) stickers will be placed on your chest. These are connected to the ECG machine which will be used to monitor your heart during the anaesthetic. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on one of your limbs and a small peg called a pulse oximeter placed on a finger. This clever little machine measures the oxygen concentration in your blood stream. Once you are asleep, a multitude of other monitors may be used. These include capnography, LOC (level of consciousness) monitors, temperature monitors and various forms of "invasive" monitoring, when indicated.
All these bits of machinery are there to ensure your safety.
By the time you arrive in the theatre, the Anaesthesiologist and his / her nurse will have already spent a great deal of time checking and double checking all the equipment. Throughout your anaesthetic, the Anaesthesiologists will never leave your side. He / she is constantly monitoring your vital signs every few minutes and these are recorded on the anaesthesia case record.
The anaesthesia team will now connect you to various monitors. These are absolutely routine and are nothing to be alarmed about. Three (sometimes five) stickers will be placed on your chest. These are connected to the ECG machine which will be used to monitor your heart during the anaesthetic. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on one of your limbs and a small peg called a pulse oximeter placed on a finger. This clever little machine measures the oxygen concentration in your blood stream. Once you are asleep, a multitude of other monitors may be used. These include capnography, LOC (level of consciousness) monitors, temperature monitors and various forms of "invasive" monitoring, when indicated.
All these bits of machinery are there to ensure your safety.
This information was reproduced from the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) website Patient Corner page with permission from the webmaster (http://www.sasaweb.com)