Rohit Shishodia
Experts have emphasized that the general public should be made more aware about the role of anesthesiologists, who continually work to save the patients before and after the surgery. They have said that survival of patients suffering from brain and head injures depends on availability of neuro anesthesiologists in ICU.

The views were expressed during a three-day conference ‘7th Annual Neuroanaesthesia-Neuro critical Care Update’ held recently in Delhi-AIIMS. Around 200 delegates participated in the conference. Dr Ashish Bindra was organizing secretary of the mega event.

The doctors pointed out that not only do anesthesiologists work during surgery but they also control and mange pain before and after the surgery. They say that neurosurgery and neuro anesthesia work together, but their work remains unseen. Anesthesia drugs are intravenous and some administered through oxygen. Anesthesia drugs have side effects.   

Dr Arvind Chaturvedi, Professor and Head, Department of Neuro anesthesiology and Critical Care, Delhi-AIIMS, told DTMT that neuro anesthesiologists have played key role in saving patients during critical surgeries.

He pointed out “Patients who undergo anesthesia procedure before surgery think that this is part of the surgery. In brain surgeries, surgeons operate the brain but all other organs are monitored by neuro anesthesioloigsts.”

Speaking about brain surgery, Dr Chaturvedi said: “Brain is a very sensitive organ. It is irreversible if damaged. It has to be treated within one hour after surgery. Mortality due to brain injury is very low if it is treated in time. Treating in time needs a lot of specialties together. Neuro anesthesia and neuro surgery are done by super specialists who treat patients with brain injury.”

“All the crucial parts. from emergency to ICU, are managed by us. Surgeries are done by surgeons but all crucial part of the patients is managed by us. Like where hero becomes popular and playback singer remain unsung hero. More than 50% of work is done by us in ICU,” said Dr Chaturvedi.

All the surgeries before 1846 were done without anesthesia. Patients suffered due to pain during cutting of hand or any organ and many died.

He further pointed out that it is because of anesthesia that patients who undergo surgeries survive. Anesthetists manage the pain and life threatening complications of the patient during the surgery. An injured patient is already in pain and doing a surgery on him adds another injury, but all this is managed by the anesthetist during, before and after surgery.