How is anaesthesia given during gynaecological surgery? A look inside the operating theatre
Anaesthesia is given for every operation so that you are comfortable throughout. In both keyhole and open gynaecological surgery, a specialist doctor called an anaesthesiologist uses an anaesthesia machine to give the right dose for you, with a monitor alongside and, when needed, a ventilator to keep your breathing going properly.
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This video is in Konkani; the guide on this page is in English.
Many women who are advised an operation worry most about the anaesthesia. In this short video, recorded in the operating theatre at Pai Hospital, Dr Mayur Pai shows the anaesthesia machine and explains, part by part, what it does. No patient and no surgery are shown. This guide follows what he explains.
Why is anaesthesia given for surgery?
Whenever an operation is done, anaesthesia is given so that the patient is comfortable. This applies to gynaecological operations, whether it is laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery or an open operation. The same anaesthesia machine is used for both. To learn what keyhole surgery treats, see laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.
Who gives the anaesthesia?
Anaesthesia is given by an anaesthesiologist, a specialist doctor trained in anaesthesia. While the surgeon operates, the anaesthesiologist uses the anaesthesia machine to give you the right dose, and uses the instruments that your particular case needs.
What does the anaesthesia machine do?
Dr Pai describes the machine as imported from Germany, with an imported patient monitor mounted on top. The machine and the monitor are used together to give anaesthesia. In the video he points out its main parts:
- The anaesthetic container. The anaesthetic medicine goes into a container on the machine (the one with the yellow cap in the video). Through it, the anaesthesiologist controls the dose needed to keep you asleep.
- The monitor. The monitor is used together with the machine throughout the anaesthesia. A patient monitor like this typically shows readings such as your heartbeat, blood pressure and oxygen level.
- The instrument tray. The instruments the anaesthesiologist may need to help with your breathing are kept ready on a tray on the machine. More helpful items are kept in a drawer beneath it. The doctor uses whichever ones each case needs.
- The ventilator. A ventilator is built in as one part of the machine, explained below.
Why is a ventilator sometimes needed?
Sometimes, depending on the case, a ventilator has to be connected. It is a breathing machine: it works automatically, so that the patient's breathing goes on properly during the operation.
The anaesthesia machine has a computer. The computer takes the patient's body weight and the anaesthesiologist's instructions for that patient's case, and passes them to the ventilator. The ventilator then gives adequate ventilation, which means oxygen reaches the patient properly.
Why are wires and breathing circuits changed for every patient?
In the video, Dr Pai shows how many wires and breathing circuits are connected to the machine. These are single-use, or "use and throw". Once they have been used for one patient, they are thrown away, and every new patient gets new ones. The same goes for other consumables the machine uses.
These single-use items are one reason a surgery bill includes a charge for consumables. When you compare estimates, it is fair to ask any hospital what is included. For what else affects the cost of an operation, see cost of laparoscopic surgery in Goa.
What can I ask before my operation?
It helps to know what to expect. Before your operation, you can ask:
- who will give your anaesthesia;
- what kind of anaesthesia is planned for your operation;
- when you should stop eating and drinking beforehand;
- what the estimate includes, such as theatre, anaesthesia and consumables.
For what happens after the operation, read recovery after keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery.
Who operates
This guide is by Dr Mayur Pai, MBBS, MS (Obstetrics & Gynaecology), a fertility and laparoscopy specialist who performs these operations himself. Pai Hospital in Goa has its own operating theatre, the one shown in the video, so your scans, the operation and your stay are handled in one place, by one team.
Getting started
If you have been advised surgery, or you have questions or worries about the anaesthesia, please talk to us. For questions, message us on WhatsApp at +91 77989 73345, with any scan reports you already have. Consultations at the hospital are by appointment; to book one, call +91 77989 73345, or +91 95459 20817, or +91 75582 52088. More answers are in gynaecology and surgery: your questions answered. This article is for education only and is not personal medical advice; please consult your doctor about your own situation.
Your questions
Will I be asleep during my gynaecological operation?
That depends on the operation and on the anaesthesia planned for you. The aim, as Dr Pai explains, is that you are comfortable throughout. Before your operation, ask the team what kind of anaesthesia is planned for you.
Who gives the anaesthesia during surgery?
A specialist doctor called an anaesthesiologist. Using the anaesthesia machine, the anaesthesiologist controls how much anaesthetic you receive and gives the right dose for you, while the surgeon operates.
Is the same anaesthesia machine used for keyhole and open surgery?
Yes. Dr Pai explains that the machine is used during surgery whether the operation is laparoscopic (keyhole) or open.
Why is a ventilator sometimes used during surgery?
In some cases a ventilator is connected so that breathing goes on automatically and properly during the operation. The machine's computer uses your body weight and the anaesthesiologist's instructions for your case to set it, so that oxygen reaches you properly.
Are breathing circuits and wires reused from one patient to the next?
No. As Dr Pai shows, the breathing circuits and wires used with the machine are single-use. They are thrown away after one patient, and every new patient gets new ones.
Why does a surgery bill include consumables?
Single-use items such as breathing circuits and wires are replaced for every patient, so they are part of the cost of an operation. When you compare estimates, it is fair to ask any hospital what is included.
Or call +91 95459 20817 · +91 75582 52088 · 0832 251 3641
This page is for general education and is not personal medical advice. Treatment depends on your own examination and reports, so please speak to a doctor about your situation. We do not carry out or offer sex determination of any kind.