Anesthesiologists play an essential role in providing safe, optimal anesthesia and contribute their expertise and experience to patient monitoring and support, pain management, local analgesia, fluid therapy, and postoperative care. Our board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist supervises and trains our technical staff in the delivery and monitoring of safe anesthesia. We use advanced equipment and support techniques to closely monitor patient well-being, including: electrocardiography (ECG), pulse oximetry (measuring the patient’s oxygen levels), capnography (measuring how well the patient is breathing), blood pressure monitors and ventilators. Safe anesthesia is much more than simply ensuring that a patient recovers after the procedure. By developing a management plan specific to each patient and by paying attention to a patient’s physiologic functions during anesthesia, our anesthesia team strives to keep our patients as normal as possible during their anesthetic procedures and after recovery.
Patient Evaluation
Every patient is different. As you might expect, no two pets are the same in terms of their health status, their responses to the stress of hospitalization, and their potential responses to the different sedative and anesthetic drugs used in a veterinary hospital. Patient safety is our top priority. Because of these differences and the inherent risks associated with sedation and general anesthesia, VCA Canada Central Victoria combines the experience and expertise of board-certified anesthesiologists with specialists in surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, critical care, and oncology to provide your pet with comprehensive care. Using this combined approach to patient care, our team of specialists can assess individual patient risk, detect and stabilize any health concerns that may exist prior to anesthesia and surgery, and closely manage your pet’s post-operative care.
Patient Monitoring
Since no two patients respond identically to anesthesia, one of the most important ways to improve the quality of a patient’s anesthetic care (and decrease the risk of complications) is to closely monitor and manage a patient’s vital signs throughout the procedure. We use two different but complementary methods to monitor our anesthetized patients: “hands-on” monitoring performed by registered Veterinary Technicians to provide us with ‘subjective’ information (e.g. depth of anesthesia), and electronic monitoring equipment to provide us with ‘objective’ information (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, etc.). Hands-on monitoring involves listening to heart and lung sounds, manually palpating pulse strength, and inspecting mucous membranes for colour and refill time. Using specifically designed anesthesia monitoring equipment allows for accurate measurement of blood pressure, oxygenation, ventilation, heart rate and rhythm, and body temperature management. Studies in people have shown that when anesthetists rely solely on hands-on monitoring, they detect anesthetic-related problems only 50% of the time. In those same studies, the use of blood pressure, oxygenation, and ventilation monitors significantly reduced the likelihood that the anesthetist would miss common anesthetic complications.
Your veterinarian may refer your pet to our hospital for the performance of complex surgeries, stabilization and treatment of life-threatening illnesses, or for further diagnostic testing. For the reasons described above, we have invested in a variety of patient monitors to ensure that this level of care is available to every anesthetized patient we treat. This way, together with an individualized preoperative assessment for each patient in our care, we can better manage risk, improve the outcome of each procedure, and enhance your pet's well-being.
Questions or Concerns About Anesthesia
If you have any questions about your pet’s sedation, anesthesia or pain management, please bring them to our attention. We would be very happy to discuss your concerns and answer any questions you may have.
