Meet the Anesthesiologist: Ontario’s Expert in Anesthesia Care

For many people, surgery is one of the most vulnerable and critical times in their lives. Understandably, patients often have questions, concerns and even fears. Anesthesiologists are medical experts who are there to help answer those questions and alleviate those concerns and fears through their expertise and their dedication to patients’ safety and comfort.

Anesthesiologists are Physicians

All anesthesiologists are medical doctors who have completed additional specialized education after medical school. In Canada, anesthesiologists are the only professionals who are educated and trained to be experts in anesthesia. The vast majority of anesthesiologists receive an additional five-to-seven years of residency training after medical school. There are also family practice anesthetists, family physicians who have completed an additional year of training in anesthesia after their family practice training. You can learn more about family practice anesthetists here.

All major, and most minor surgeries, in Canada involve an anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist ensures the patient has a safe and comfortable journey from the time they are booked for surgery, through the actual procedure and post-surgery pain management. There are different forms of anesthesia, which you can read more about here.

Anesthesia care can sometimes involve certified clinical anesthesia assistants, more commonly referred to as anesthesia assistants. They play a vital role in supporting anesthesiologists and increasing the efficiency of care provided. Learn more about these roles here.

What Anesthesiologists Do

Anesthesia is a medical procedure that temporarily results in the loss of feeling and sensation in all or some of the body, depending on the technique. Some of these techniques can also induce unconsciousness. Anesthesiologists are best known for putting people under anesthesia, which is known as anesthetising someone.

Prior to every surgery, the anesthesiologist develops a plan that will best ensure a safe and smooth procedure. During the surgery, that plan is put into action while the anesthesiologist monitors the patient’s vital organ function throughout the surgery or procedure. This involves:

• Monitoring the patient’s heart rate, oxygen levels and other vital signs.

• Administering and adjusting anesthesia drugs and/or gases, as well as any other needed medication.

• Treating excessive blood loss and taking corrective steps if needed.

• Ensuring that the patient is producing urine, a sign of kidney health.

• Working with the rest of the surgical team to lead and coordinate the best possible care of the patient while in the operating room.

Anesthesiologists are also involved in many roles outside the operating room. They provide care from before birth (anesthesiologists are the physicians who provide labouring patients with epidurals as well as provide the pain management needed for cesarean sections) to some patients’ final moments of life through their involvement with palliative care. Anesthesiologists are the experts in acute and chronic pain management and are also involved in critical/intensive care. And due to their extensive footprint in health care, anesthesiologists are frequently found in leadership roles in hospital systems. 

Still have questions? Check out our FAQs and be sure to browse through our blog, where we explore how Ontario’s Anesthesiologists and its members are making a difference here in Ontario.

Human Resources Challenges & Ontario Anesthesiologists

Ontario’s health-care sector is facing many human resources challenges, and the field of anesthesia is no exception.

There is a particular need in the province’s rural and remote communities, where a lack or shortage of anesthesia services sometimes results in residents having to travel great distances to receive the care they need.

There are several drivers behind the human resource challenges we are facing. As is the case in many medical specialties, the anesthesia workforce is aging and while each year there is a fresh crop of eager and talented anesthesiology residents, replacement rates are struggling to keep up with retirement rates and the province’s population growth. Additionally, the surgical backlog and other system-wide impacts caused by COVID-19 have resulted in a workload that is larger and more complex than in years past.

While our human resources challenges don’t have any quick solutions, one step we can take to reduce some of the pressure is the expansion of the Anesthesia Care Team (ACT) model. Under this model, certified clinical anesthesia assistants work under the direction, delegation and supervision of an anesthesiologist or family practice anesthetist. Learn more about the ACT model here.

Additionally, investment by the province of Ontario in data-driven workplace planning would help us better understand where gaps in care are occurring and allow us to better shift resources to ensure that all Ontarians get the anesthesia care they need.

We encourage the Ontario public to call upon the provincial government to provide the funding and other resources necessary to expand the ACT model as well as develop data-driven workplace planning for the health-care sector.