What is the specific workflow of anesthesia during surgery?

Surgery is a complex medical process, and anesthesia plays a vital role in surgery. Anesthesiologists are responsible for ensuring that patients do not feel pain during surgery and maintain a stable physiological state. This article will introduce the specific workflow of anesthesia during surgery to help readers understand the work content and process of anesthesiologists.

1. Preoperative preparation

The interaction between anesthesiologists and patients plays a vital role in the critical stage before surgery. This stage is not only a process of preparing for surgery, but also a key link in ensuring the safety and comfort of patients. Through careful communication, anesthesiologists can fully understand the patient's medical history and anesthesia-related conditions, so that they can more accurately assess the patient's physical condition and develop a personalized anesthesia plan.

During the communication process with the patient, the anesthesiologist will ask the patient's medical history in detail, including past surgical experience, allergy history, medication, etc. This information is crucial for the anesthesiologist because it is directly related to the selection of anesthetic drugs and the adjustment of dosage. In addition, the anesthesiologist will also pay attention to the patient's current physical condition and evaluate whether the patient is suitable for surgery through a series of examinations, such as monitoring of vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.

2. Induction of Anesthesia

Surgery is a medical activity that requires high concentration and precision, and the degree of cooperation of the patient during the operation directly affects the effectiveness of the operation. Therefore, at the beginning of the operation, the anesthesiologist will ensure the patient's full cooperation by inducing anesthesia. Inducing anesthesia is a critical step that aims to quickly guide the patient from a conscious state to an unconscious state so that the operation can proceed smoothly.

Induced anesthesia is usually achieved through intravenous injection of drugs. These drugs are carefully selected and proportioned to work in a short period of time and quickly put the patient into an unconscious state. During this process, the anesthesiologist will closely monitor the patient's reactions and physiological changes to ensure the accuracy and safety of the drug dosage.

During the induction of anesthesia, the anesthesiologist also needs to pay attention to the effects of the drugs on the patient. Since the physical conditions and drug reactions of different patients may vary, the anesthesiologist needs to adjust the drug dosage and speed according to the patient's specific situation to ensure that the patient can smoothly transition to anesthesia.

3. Endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation

After the patient enters an unconscious state, the anesthesiologist will perform endotracheal intubation. This is a critical operation to ensure that the patient's airway is open and to provide artificial ventilation for the patient. Through endotracheal intubation, the anesthesiologist can precisely control the patient's breathing and blood oxygen saturation, thereby ensuring the patient's life safety during the operation.

Endotracheal intubation is the process of inserting a special tube into the patient's trachea and connecting it to a ventilator. Through the ventilator, the anesthesiologist can provide the patient with a stable and continuous supply of oxygen and adjust the respiratory rate and tidal volume as needed. This operation requires the anesthesiologist to have extensive experience and skilled techniques to ensure the safety and comfort of the patient.

4. Maintaining Anesthesia

Once the patient enters a stable state of anesthesia, the focus of the anesthesiologist's work shifts to maintaining the stability and safety of anesthesia. They need to continuously monitor the patient's physiological parameters, such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, etc., to ensure that the patient's vital signs are stable during the operation.

In order to maintain the stability of anesthesia, anesthesiologists will adjust the dosage and infusion rate of anesthetic drugs according to the needs of patients and the progress of surgery. They need to flexibly adjust the drug regimen according to the patient's response and physiological changes to maintain the patient's anesthesia depth and stability.

During the anesthesia maintenance process, the anesthesiologist also needs to maintain close communication and collaboration with the surgeon. They need to pay attention to the patient's vital signs and the progress of the operation together to ensure that the operation can proceed smoothly and achieve the best results.

V. Monitoring and Support During Surgery

During surgery, anesthesiologists play a vital role. They are not only core members of the medical team, but also the guardians of patients. In the challenging environment of the operating room, anesthesiologists use advanced medical equipment and professional knowledge to monitor the patient's vital signs at all times to ensure the smooth progress of the operation.

During the operation, the anesthesiologists use advanced monitoring equipment such as electrocardiographs, blood pressure monitors, and blood oxygen saturation monitors to observe the patient's physiological parameters in real time. They pay close attention to the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and body temperature, and promptly detect and deal with any possible abnormalities. Once a life-threatening complication occurs, the anesthesiologist will quickly take countermeasures to ensure the patient's life safety.

6. End of surgery and awakening

When the operation is nearing its end, the anesthesiologist will gradually reduce the dose of anesthetic drugs according to the patient's recovery. They closely monitor the patient's state of consciousness and changes in physiological parameters to ensure that the patient wakes up in a stable state. This process requires the anesthesiologist to have rich experience and superb skills, because the patient may experience pain, nausea and other discomforts during the awakening process, and the anesthesiologist needs to take timely measures to relieve them.

After waking up, the anesthesiologist will communicate with the patient and the surgical team, and explain in detail the patient's postoperative precautions and rehabilitation plan. They will also explain to the patient and family members the various symptoms and reactions that may occur during the operation, so that the patient and family members can spend the postoperative recovery period with peace of mind.

Author: Wang Zhenmei Department of Anesthesiology, Gaotang County People's Hospital, Liaocheng City