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Introduction

Regional anaesthesia (RA) is an important component of anaesthetic practice. It includes neuraxial and peripheral nerve block techniques which may be used for either perioperative anaesthesia or analgesia, as well as other non-surgical indications such as chronic pain and traumatic rib fractures. The practice of RA has changed significantly, particularly over the past three decades.¹ The introduction of...

Introduction 

Head and neck surgery includes a wide spectrum of surgical interventions, ranging from short daycase procedures to long and complex operations.¹ The requirements for providing anaesthesia services for routine head and neck surgery, such as tonsillectomy, will be different to those required to provide anaesthesia for major or complex surgery. There should be recognition that routine head and...

Introduction

Trauma remains the most common cause of loss of life in the under 40s age group in the UK, and as such major trauma centres (MTCs) and trauma units (TUs) have been established to receive patients of all ages and to improve outcomes.¹ Early anaesthetic involvement is beneficial at all stages, from the prehospital setting, to emergency departments...

Introduction

The range of procedures requiring anaesthesia for burn and plastic surgery is wide and includes patients of all ages. Procedures range from common minor injuries (dog bites, nail bed injuries) to planned congenital cleft lip and palate and hand procedures, and less frequently major burns and free-flap surgeries requiring multidisciplinary perioperative critical care. The recommendations in this chapter should...

Introduction 

From their inception, IPS have provided acute post-surgical pain management to promote a balance of symptomatic relief and early restoration of function to improve patient experience and surgical outcomes. An ongoing and important role of the IPS is the consistent training and education of staff and students across the wider hospital trust. Other responsibilities continue to expand into...

Introduction

It is nearly two decades since it was widely reported that the outcome from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery was significantly worse in the UK than in comparable countries.¹ The 2005 NCEPOD report Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A service in need of surgery² subsequently led to a national Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Quality Improvement Programme (AAAQIP) being introduced...

Introduction

Neuroanaesthesia encompasses a wide range of emergency and elective work. Anaesthesia for intracranial oncology, vascular, hydrocephalus, trauma/neurotrauma, functional surgery, complex spinal surgery, as well as anaesthesia for diagnostic and interventional neuroradiological procedures, including MRI, all lie within the specialty.

Neuroanaesthesia is mainly delivered in neuroscience units, which may be based in specialist centres, teaching hospitals or district general hospitals...

Introduction

The discipline of ophthalmic surgery encompasses the following areas: intraocular surgery, extraocular surgery, oculoplastic surgery, nasolacrimal surgery and orbital surgery. Ophthalmic surgery is undertaken in a wide variety of different settings, including multispecialty general hospitals, isolated units and large, single-specialty centres. All environments require appropriate staffing levels, skill mix and facilities. The ophthalmic anaesthetist has a key role in...