Anaesthesiology and resuscitation in Niš
Anaesthesiology and resuscitation at Maja Hospital in Niš covers assessing the patient before a procedure, choosing and giving the anaesthetic, and monitoring the patient during and after the procedure.
At a glance
Full description
Depending on the procedure and the patient's health, the options are a general anaesthetic (being put to sleep), a spinal anaesthetic, analgosedation (sedation with pain relief) or a local anaesthetic with an anaesthetist monitoring the patient. The hospital team includes Dr Dejan Novaković, a specialist in anaesthesiology and resuscitation. Maja Hospital is located at Vizantijski bulevar 39 in Niš.
Anaesthesiology and resuscitation: procedures
Full price list →Pre-anaesthetic assessment
A conversation about your health, medicines, allergies and previous anaesthetics, together with a review of your test results. Based on this, the anaesthetist recommends the type of anaesthetic and explains the preparation and the possible side effects.
General anaesthetic (being put to sleep)
The patient is asleep throughout the procedure and feels no pain. The anaesthetist monitors breathing, heart rate and blood pressure the whole time. It is most often used for larger and longer operations.
Spinal anaesthetic
Medicine is injected into the lower back through a thin needle, so the lower part of the body temporarily feels no pain. The legs usually feel numb and heavy for a few hours, until the medicine wears off. The patient is awake or lightly sedated. It is most often used for procedures on the lower part of the body.
Analgosedation (sedation with pain relief)
Medicines given through a vein help the patient relax and relieve pain. The patient is relaxed and drowsy, usually breathes on their own and wakes up more quickly than after a general anaesthetic. It is often combined with a local anaesthetic. The prices in the table are from the plastic surgery price list. You can find out whether they also apply to other procedures after your consultation or when booking.
Local anaesthetic with anaesthetist monitoring
A local anaesthetic is usually given by the doctor performing the procedure. It numbs only the area being treated, and the patient stays awake. When the doctor judges it necessary, an anaesthetist monitors breathing, heart rate and blood pressure during the procedure. The price of monitoring in the table is from the plastic surgery price list.
Deep sedation during an MRI scan
For people who cannot lie still in the scanner for a long time, an MRI scan can be done under deep sedation. The patient is then asleep during the scan, and breathing, heart rate and blood oxygen levels are monitored. Before sedation, you should not eat or drink, as instructed by the doctor. After the scan you need someone to accompany you, and you should not drive for at least 24 hours. Whether sedation is needed is decided by the doctor after talking with the patient.
Waking up and monitoring after the procedure
After a procedure under general or spinal anaesthetic or under sedation, the patient is monitored until they are awake and their breathing, blood pressure and heart rate are stable. After a spinal anaesthetic, the return of feeling and movement in the legs is also monitored. Pain, nausea and the patient's general condition are monitored as well.
Our specialists: Anaesthesiology and resuscitation
Your visit step by step
Step 1: Consultation with the doctor performing the procedure
At the consultation, the doctor performing the procedure (a surgeon, urologist or gynaecologist) explains the procedure and which anaesthetic is usually used for it.
Step 2: Tests before the procedure
The doctor decides which tests are needed.
Step 3: Talking with the anaesthetist
The anaesthetist reviews your test results and asks about any illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous anaesthetics.
Step 4: The day of the procedure
Come at the agreed time, following the instructions about food and drink.
Step 5: Waking up and hospital stay
After the procedure you stay under observation until you are awake and your condition is stable.
Step 6: Going home
Before you leave, you receive advice on diet, painkillers and your follow-up appointment.
Show more: Your visit step by step
Consultation with the doctor performing the procedure
At the consultation, the doctor performing the procedure (a surgeon, urologist or gynaecologist) explains the procedure and which anaesthetic is usually used for it. If you decide to go ahead with the procedure, you receive a list of the tests and results you need to bring. Tell the doctor at this stage if you take blood thinners.
Tests before the procedure
The doctor decides which tests are needed. Most often these are a full blood count, blood clotting tests and basic blood chemistry tests. Depending on your age, your health and the type of procedure, an ECG or an assessment by an internal medicine specialist may also be needed. Ask when booking where you can have the tests done.
Talking with the anaesthetist
The anaesthetist reviews your test results and asks about any illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous anaesthetics. They recommend the type of anaesthetic, explain the preparation and the possible side effects and answer your questions. If you agree with the recommendation, you sign a consent form for the anaesthetic.
The day of the procedure
Come at the agreed time, following the instructions about food and drink. If the procedure is done under general or spinal anaesthetic or under sedation, a thin plastic tube (cannula) is placed in a vein in your arm for medicines and fluids. Monitors are also attached to track your heart, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels, and the anaesthetist monitors your condition throughout the procedure. For procedures under local anaesthetic only, the doctor decides whether an anaesthetist needs to monitor you.
Waking up and hospital stay
After the procedure you stay under observation until you are awake and your condition is stable. Whether you stay in hospital, and for how long, is decided by the doctor, depending on the procedure and your condition.
Going home
Before you leave, you receive advice on diet, painkillers and your follow-up appointment. After a general or spinal anaesthetic and after sedation, you are usually advised not to drive for at least 24 hours and to have someone take you home. If at home you develop a severe headache, difficulty breathing or numbness in the legs that does not go away, or you cannot pass urine, contact the hospital. In an emergency, call an ambulance on 194.
How to prepare
- Bring your ID card, the test results you were asked for and a list of your medicines and dietary supplements, with doses.
- Mention weekly injections for diabetes or weight loss, a possible pregnancy, snoring and any loose tooth.
- Come having fasted: usually no food for 6 hours and no water for 2 hours, and the anaesthetist gives the exact times.
- Do not drink alcohol for at least 24 hours before the procedure.
Show 2 more: How to prepare
- Come without jewellery, piercings, nail varnish or artificial nails, and say if you wear dentures or contact lenses.
- If you develop a high temperature or a cold before the procedure, contact the hospital before you come in.
In detail
What does an anaesthetist do?
An anaesthetist is a doctor who looks after the patient before, during and after a procedure. Before the procedure, the anaesthetist assesses the patient's general health and recommends the type of anaesthetic. During the procedure, they give the anaesthetic and monitor breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and the level of oxygen in the blood. After the procedure, they monitor the patient as they wake up and plan pain relief. Resuscitation is part of the same specialty. It covers maintaining the body's basic vital functions and responding when a patient's condition changes suddenly.
What types of anaesthetic are there?
With a general anaesthetic (what many people call being put to sleep or being put under), the patient is in a state similar to deep sleep, is not aware of anything and feels no pain during the procedure. Breathing is usually supported through a tube or a special mask placed in the throat, which is put in only once the patient is asleep. With a spinal anaesthetic, medicine is injected into the lower back through a thin needle, so the lower part of the body temporarily feels no pain. The legs usually feel numb and heavy for a few hours. The patient stays awake or lightly sedated. A local anaesthetic numbs only the area being treated. With analgosedation, the patient is given medicines through a vein to help them relax and to relieve pain. They are relaxed and drowsy and usually breathe on their own. Analgosedation is often combined with a local anaesthetic.
How is the type of anaesthetic chosen?
The choice depends on the type and length of the procedure, the patient's general health, any existing conditions, the medicines the patient takes and previous experiences with anaesthesia. Sometimes more than one type of anaesthetic is possible for the same procedure. The anaesthetist agrees the recommendation with the doctor performing the procedure and explains it to the patient: what the anaesthetic will involve, what the possible side effects are and how to prepare. The patient has the right to ask questions and to receive clear answers before signing the consent form for the anaesthetic.
Where is anaesthesia used at Maja Hospital?
The anaesthetist takes part in procedures carried out under general or spinal anaesthetic or under analgosedation and, when the doctor judges it necessary, also in procedures under local anaesthetic. At Maja Hospital these are procedures in general and abdominal, proctological, vascular and endocrine surgery, as well as urology, gynaecology and plastic surgery. The plastic surgery price list has separate items for sedation, analgosedation and anaesthetist monitoring, and the radiology price list has an item for deep sedation during an MRI scan. A scan under deep sedation may be needed when a patient cannot lie still in the scanner for a long time. Whether sedation is needed is decided by the doctor after talking with the patient.
Frequently asked questions
Is a general anaesthetic dangerous?
Serious complications of general anaesthesia are rare, especially in people without serious illnesses. The risk depends on your general health, any existing conditions and the type and length of the procedure. That is why the anaesthetist assesses your condition before the procedure and monitors your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure throughout. You can discuss the risks that apply specifically to you with the anaesthetist before the procedure.
How long does it take to wake up from a general anaesthetic?
After a general anaesthetic, patients usually wake up a few minutes after the procedure ends. Drowsiness and sluggishness can last a few hours, and sometimes until the next day, depending on the length of the procedure, the medicines used and the patient's general condition. Temporary confusion after anaesthesia is somewhat more common in older people. Until you are awake and your condition is stable, you are monitored by medical staff.
What is the difference between a general and a spinal anaesthetic?
With a general anaesthetic, you are asleep throughout the procedure. With a spinal anaesthetic, medicine is injected into the lower back, so the lower part of your body temporarily feels no pain, while you stay awake or lightly sedated. After a spinal anaesthetic, your legs usually feel numb and heavy for a few hours, until the medicine wears off. A spinal anaesthetic is most often used for procedures on the lower part of the body. The anaesthetist and the doctor performing the procedure will assess which one is more suitable for you and agree it with you.
How many hours before an operation should I stop eating and drinking?
Usually you should not eat for at least 6 hours before the anaesthetic, or for at least 8 hours after a fatty or heavy meal. Water and other clear fluids, such as tea without milk or clear juice without pulp, can usually be drunk up to 2 hours before the procedure. Milk and coffee with milk are not clear fluids. The rules may be different for children and for some medical conditions. You will receive exact instructions from the anaesthetist, and you should follow them.
Will I feel pain or wake up during the operation?
The aim of anaesthesia is that you feel no pain during the procedure. With general and spinal anaesthesia and with sedation, the anaesthetist monitors your condition throughout the procedure and gives more medicine if needed. Waking up during a general anaesthetic is rare. With a local or spinal anaesthetic you may feel touch or pressure, but you should not feel pain. If you feel anything, tell the doctor or the medical staff.
Show 5 more: Frequently asked questions
What is analgosedation?
Analgosedation means giving medicines through a vein that help you relax and relieve pain. The patient is relaxed and drowsy, usually breathes on their own and, after the procedure, wakes up more quickly than after a general anaesthetic. It is often combined with a local anaesthetic for minor procedures.
Are nausea and headache normal after anaesthesia?
After anaesthesia you may have nausea, drowsiness, shivering, a feeling of cold or a sore throat. A sore throat is usually caused by the breathing tube and usually passes within a day or two. Rarely, a spinal anaesthetic is followed by a headache that is worse when you sit or stand and eases when you lie down. It can also start a day or two after the procedure, when you are already at home. These symptoms can usually be eased effectively. If you have them, tell the medical staff. If you develop this kind of headache at home, or numbness and weakness in the legs that does not go away, contact the hospital.
Can I drive after an anaesthetic?
After a general or spinal anaesthetic and after sedation, you are usually advised not to drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol or make important decisions for at least 24 hours. That is why it is a good idea to have someone take you home. The anaesthetist will tell you the exact period. After a local anaesthetic, the advice depends on the procedure, so check it with your doctor.
Can I take my usual medicines before an operation?
Most regular medicines are continued, but some are temporarily stopped or their dose is changed before the procedure. This applies especially to blood thinners, diabetes medicines and weekly injections for diabetes or weight loss. Blood thinners are sometimes stopped several days in advance, so mention them at your first consultation. Do not change your medicines on your own. Bring a list of your medicines and the doctor will tell you what to take on the day of the procedure.
Is the anaesthetic charged separately?
This depends on the procedure. In the Maja Hospital price list, separate items for sedation, analgosedation and anaesthetist monitoring are in the plastic surgery section, and deep sedation during an MRI scan is in the radiology section. For many operations, the type of anaesthetic is stated in the name of the price list item. You will find out exactly what the price of your procedure includes after the consultation with the doctor performing the procedure.
Advice and answers
Advice
General, spinal or local anaesthetic: the differences and how the anaesthetist chooses
The information in this text is general in nature and does not replace an examination by a doctor.
Book an appointment: Anaesthesiology and resuscitation
Information on this website does not replace a medical examination. Treatment is decided by a doctor after the examination.