We are committed to evidence-based best practice, continuous quality improvement and teaching.
Perioperative medicine and theatre management
The Anaesthesia & Pain Management service is very active in improving operating room systems. We have ongoing initiatives which continually improve the efficiency of theatre use, including reviewing and improving barriers to delays of starting on time.
We run a Pre-admission Clinic where all patients are seen by an anaesthetist in person or by telehealth before their surgery. About two thirds of planned surgery patients are seen preoperatively by an anaesthetist.
This improves patient education and assessment, reduces day of surgery cancellations and enhances anaesthetic involvement in perioperative medicine.
Pain medicine
We manage comprehensive acute and chronic pain services at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, with a focus on early access to chronic pain services for patients with difficult to manage acute pain.
Echocardiography
Anaesthesia is provided for over 600 cardiac surgeries and procedures a year – the largest number at a single centre in Victoria. Cardiac anaesthetists usually perform a transoesophageal echocardiogram for these procedures.
Anaesthesia and Pain Management courses
We run Anaesthesia and Pain Management runs courses throughout the year for health professionals.
The department provides expertise in airway management, resuscitation and trauma management. Courses are hosted in airway, and advanced life support training (ALS 2) at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Find out more about our Anaesthesia and Pain Management courses.