Thoracic anaesthesia

We'll provide you with anaesthetic and pain-relief services if you're having thoracic (chest) surgery.

You can need surgery in your chest for many reasons - you could be having an investigation, or a more complex operation aiming to cure a disease. You will need a general anaesthetic for most of these operations, which will be provided by our team. We'll monitor you during your operation, and in the early part of your recovery.

We work to minimise side-effects such as nausea and vomiting, and provide pain relief techniques to help you have a comfortable and speedy recovery.

We also help to support the use of new techniques in surgery, such as minimally invasive and video assisted surgery. These techniques can dramatically reduce pain from your operation, and help you to recover and leave hospital quicker.

When you come in

You'll meet your anaesthetist before your operation. This might be in a pre-assessment clinic before coming into hospital, or it might be on the day before or morning of your surgery (depending on when you're admitted).

Your anaesthetist will discuss the techniques that will be used for your anaesthesia and pain-relief with you. They'll explain what you can expect in theatre, recovery and back on the ward after surgery. The risks and benefits of all procedures will be discussed, and you'll have the chance to ask any questions that you may have.

Depending on the nature of your surgery, you may spend some time in intensive care or high dependency.

Our team

Find out more about our team here.