Learn more about Dr. Aoife Brennan and her work as a Consultant Anesthetist 

Day case anesthesiology is fast-paced and diverse.

In a busy day surgery unit, we pivot from sitting an ultrasound-guided performing nerve blocks, to performing spinal anesthesia for a lower limb or urological cases, to full general anesthetic for something more complex, often within the span of a single list. The breadth of techniques and the shorter duration of a typical day case keeps our job dynamic and engaging.

Close teamwork is essential for the high turnover expected of day surgery and being a team player is second only to providing safe care for our patients. Efficient use of theatre time is how we shrink our regional waiting lists, and provide access for procedures and patients that have been waiting for extended periods of time. A well-chosen anaesthetic technique, tailored to the procedure and the patient, is what allows someone to walk through the door in the morning and walk back out, safely recovered, by afternoon. A satisfying outcome for everyone!

Patient preparation is where that smooth journey begins. Thorough preoperative assessment to identify comorbidities, optimising medications, and setting realistic expectations is what transforms a high-volume environment from a pressured one into a safe one. Patients who arrive well-prepared, well-informed, and appropriately selected are patients who recover faster, cancel less, and return home with the knowledge and confidence to manage their recovery.

Every list is a contribution to a population still waiting and that gives the work a significance that extends well beyond the theatre walls.