When someone goes through a surgical procedure, that person needs to be sedated to block the pain and sensation. This state is often achieved by a drug known as anaesthesia. However, it is a drug that can only be administered by experts. A medical professional who specialises in anesthesiology can administer anaesthesia to the patient. That professional is often referred to as an anaesthetist or anesthesiologist.

However, this is not it. There are other things that make an individual an anaesthetist. So, if you are curious to know about the role of an anaesthetist, then stick to the end of this blog.

About Anesthesia

Anesthesia is a drug that doctors use to sedate their patients so that they won’t feel excruciating pain while undergoing a treatment or surgical procedure. It is also used to treat severe infections and trauma. Since it blocks the pain, it is also administered to people who are terminally sick to relieve them from pain. There are other areas as well where this drug is used to simplify complicated treatments and ease the discomfort of the patients. At present, there are three most commonly used anaesthesias:

General Anaesthesia

If the treatment requires sedating the patient so that the person becomes unconscious for a few hours, then general anaesthesia is given. It is administered intravenously or with the help of a breathing mask.

Local Anaesthesia

Local anaesthesia doesn’t knock the person out of consciousness. It keeps the patient awake while blocking the pain sensation temporarily.

Regional Anaesthesia

Regional anaesthesia is applied in the form of cream to a specific body part that needs to block the pain.

What Is An Anaesthetist?

An anaesthetist is a medical professional who specialises in anesthesiology. As mentioned earlier, anaesthesia is a drug that can be only administered under the supervision of a medical professional who specialises in anesthesiology.

To administer anaesthesia to the patient, research on the patient’s medical history is done. This research is often done by the anaesthetist. With the information of medical history, an anaesthetist determines how to administer anesthesia to the patient. An anaesthetist is needed during the operation as he monitors the number of anaesthetists given to the patients to keep them sedated. Dr Anthony Singh in Melbourne is a well-known anaesthetist around the globe.

Moreover, when the operation goes on for longer than expected, an anesthetist is the one who makes the decision whether increasing the dose of an anaesthetist is good for the patient or not. If it’s good and doesn’t pose any harm to the patient, the dose is increased by the anaesthetist. That’s why it’s crucial for the anaesthetist to remain in the Or while the surgery is being performed. Apart from this, anaesthetists also look after the pain management of the patient pre-op and post-op.  

Types Of Anaesthetists

The anaesthetist is a broader term. This profession is further divided into several types of specialities. Some of the common specialities are:

  • Acute Pain Management or Regional Anesthesia
  • Hospice And Palliative Care
  • Obstetric Anesthesia (Pain management during pregnancy)
  • Pre-op and post-op Pain Management
  • Critical Care (For Severe infection and trauma)
  • Cardiac Anesthesia (Deals with Cardiothoracic)
  • Pediatric Anesthesia (Pain management for young children and infants)
  • Neuro-anesthesia (For neurosurgical procedures)

Salary Of And Anaesthetist In Australia

The highest-paid anesthetist in Australia is the Obstetric one. The lowest wage for anaesthetists is around $70 to $80 per hour. The highest wages are $150 to $160 per hour. If an individual log in for the job regularly, then he can earn up to $2000 to $2500 in one day. The annual salary for a permanent job as an anesthesiologist varies from $200,000 to $500,000.

The salary might seem a lot for people who do not know the nitty-gritty details of the job. Being an anaesthetist is challenging as they are faced with difficult situations all the time. Not to mention the amount of time they invest in pursuing the career is more than 10 years.

Bottom Line

So, this is everything about an anaesthetist. If you wish to pursue this career, then make sure to have an ample amount of determination and patience. Indeed the pay is great to lead lavish life but to achieve it, you need to dedicate 10 to 12 years of your life to educating yourself in anesthesiology. One of the best perks of choosing this career path is that you will never go out of employment once you become an anaesthetist, irrespective of the time and place.