Anesthesiology is a discipline within the practice of medicine specializing in the medical management of patients who are rendered unconscious or insensible to pain and emotional stress during surgical procedures. Our department is structured on the principles adopted by the American Society of Anesthesiology and compatible with the local rules and regulations in Jordan. Patients at KHCC are entitled and should expect to receive the best anesthetic care available.

Staff
Our department is staffed by 11 full time consultants and a team of specialized nurses. We have a clinic operating 3 days a week and round the clock anesthesia coverage for emergency services, preoperative evaluations, and postoperative care delivery.

Services:
The services provided by an anesthetist play a crucial role in the treatment process. It is not enough to simply administer the required amounts of medication; rather the practice involved various steps to help ease a patient into and out of surgery. Anesthesia involves three stages including: preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative evaluation and treatment each will be discussed in-depth below.

Preoperative care starts by evaluating patients before surgery. This can be done in the floor or in the anesthesia clinic. We make sure that every patient is fit to undergo anesthesia before he/she goes into the operating room. Moreover, it is crucial to have accurate knowledge of patients’ medications and allergies to verify proper anesthetic use. Some patients require medications to help decrease anxiety before a surgery; it is within our responsibility to make sure those patients are properly cared for. Many times, talk and adequate counseling about the steps involved in the process, is enough to relieve their stress and makes things easier to handle.
Intra-operative care involves the use of medications that allow patients to lose consciousness, feel no pain and relax during surgery. This is done while patients are connected to sophisticated monitoring devices that let the anesthesiologist monitor body functions during surgery. A breathing machine or ventilator takes care of a patient’s breathing while he/she is relaxed and unconscious.

Postoperative care is the part of our care that follows surgery. While the patient is recovering, we have to closely monitor his heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and other body functions to make sure that smooth recovery is taking place. Some patients require extra care to control pain. We make sure that patients are not transferred out of the recovery area until they are ready to be taken care of in the floor or the intensive care unit.
Pain management is another important role of our department. We have zero-tolerance for pain at KHCC and assure patients that it is their right to be pain-free regardless of their stage in treatment. Patients are evaluated continuously for pain and policies are made to deliver effective treatment for pain once a patient’s complaint becomes known.

Who is an anesthetist (or anesthesiologist)?
Today's anesthesiologists are physicians who complete medical school and three to five additional years sub-specializing in anesthesiology. They apply their knowledge of medicine to fulfill their primary role in the operating room, which is not only to ensure your comfort during surgery, but to also make informed medical judgments to protect you. These include treating and regulating changes in your critical life functions such as: breath, heart rate and blood pressure as they are affected by the surgery being performed. These medical specialists are the doctors who will immediately diagnose and treat any medical problems that might arise during your surgery or recovery period.

The role of an anesthesiologist extends beyond the operating and recovery room. Anesthesiologists work in intensive care units to help restore critically ill patients to stable conditions. Anesthesiologists are also involved in pain management, including the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic problems.

What does NPO mean and why is such an order important before administration of anesthesia?
NPO means "nothing by mouth". The instructions to NOT eat or drink before anesthesia and surgery are given for your safety. Anesthesia and sedation blunt the protective reflexes that prevent food and stomach contents from getting into the lungs. Particulate matter and the digestive acids secreted by the stomach can cause a life threatening pneumonia if they are aspirated into the lungs. Patients who are taking opioid narcotic pain medications, are obese, pregnant, have bowel obstructions, swallowing disorders, pain, anxiety, diabetes, hiatal hernia, gastro esophageal reflux (indigestion) or undergoing emergency surgery have a higher risk of aspiration.
After midnight of the night before your surgery, you can have only clear liquids such as water, clear tea, black coffee, or juice without pulp. You can have these up to 2 hours prior to your arrival time. Otherwise follow your surgeon's directions.