Anaesthesia

Services we offer

Our Department provides anaesthetic services for approximately 12,500 procedures per year.

All surgical specialties are covered with the exception of paediatrics and obstetrics. This allows us to develop subspecialty interests such as neuroanaesthesia, cardiac anaesthesia, acute pain, or day care anaesthesia, to name only a few.

We have 18 full-time anaesthetists, 5 part-time anaesthetists, and 11 sessional anaesthetists. We also share full-time staff with the Departments of Intensive Care, Pulmonary Physiology, and Pain Management.

Further information is available on our main web site http://www.anaesthesia.uwa.edu.au

Department Contact Details

Anaesthesia Department
G Block, 1st Floor
Phone 61 8 9346 3011
Fax 61 8 9346 4375
E-mail: khobson@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Education

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is one of the main teaching hospitals of the University of Western Australia Medical School, and we share the same campus. As such, we are involved in teaching undergraduate medical students as well as postgraduate residents and vocational trainees. We are accredited by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) for 19 anaesthetic registrar training positions, and 3 Provisional Fellowship positions.

We also have trainees from Emergency Medicine, and the West Australian Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine who rotate through the Department. One or two registrar positions are available each year for overseas trainees.

The Department has excellent library, internet and study facilities. Our trainees are part of the West Australian Regional Training Scheme which has a comprehensive Part I and Part II tutorial programme. Our trainees have had consistently high pass rates in both the Part I and Part II ANZCA Fellowship Examinations.

We also have an active continuing education program with weekly lectures and tutorials.

Research

Although we are primarily a Clinical Department, many of our staff members are involved in clinical research projects. Recent publications and presentations (listed in our annual report on the main web site) indicate some of the areas available for collaborative research.

Anaesthesia Technicians

Anaesthesia Technicians provide highly skilled assistance to anaesthetists and are an integral part of the anaesthetic team. They have detailed knowledge of anaesthetic equipment, airway equipment, monitoring and sterilisation. They are responsibe for setting up the anaesthetic area prior to the patient arriving, and providing assistance during all phases of the anaesthetic procedure. They are trained to be familiar with anaesthetic and surgical procedures and drugs, as well as basic and advanced life support. They also assist in the safe positioning of patients and the use of ancillary equipment from tourniquets to intra-aortic balloon pumps. They ensure that the theatre is adequately stocked with both anaesthetic equipment and anaesthetic drugs and maintain much of the resuscitation equipment throughout the hospital. Anaesthesia Technicians also run the cell-salvage and autotransfusion service in the operating theatres. They are continually updating their skills to keep abreast of improvements in technology.

There are currently 24 Anaesthetic Technicians which include the Chief Anaesthetic Technician and two Senior Anaesthetic Technicians (coordinating and training).

Mr Shane Power
Senior Anaesthetic Technician
Theatre, 2nd Floor G Block

Phone: +61 8 9346 1216

E-mail: shane.power@health.wa.gov.au