Patient Care in the Department of Anesthesia
The Department of Anesthesia provides general, regional and local anesthesia for all types of surgery and other procedures at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, the IWK Health Centre, Dartmouth General Hospital and Hants Community Hospital. If you will be undergoing surgery or other procedures at any of these hospitals, our highly skilled and compassionate anesthesiologists and health professionals will provide you with the highest quality anesthesia care.
The Department of Anesthesia also operates pain clinics to support thousands of people across the Maritime provinces to manage their pain.
While providing anesthesia care is the Department of Anesthesia’s primary mandate, department members are also active researchers and teachers at Dalhousie Medical School. They have a keen interest in the latest advances in anesthesia care, research and education.
In 2010, the Department of Anesthesia produced its first Clinical Accountability Framework which outlines patient care activities and establishes clear standards and expectations against which achievements can be measured and results evaluated.
Programs And Services
The Department of Anesthesia provides anesthesia care for all adults, youth and children in the Halifax region through a number of programs and services designed to meet diverse patient care needs. The programs and services offer the latest in anesthesia techniques and medications delivered by highly skilled and very competent anesthesiologists and other health professionals.
Blood Management
Peri-operative Blood Management Services provides perioperative anemia screening and treatment for major surgeries at Capital Health and the IWK Health Centre. Team members also counsel patients who refuse blood products and coordinate intra-operative surgical and anesthetic blood management techniques. (Read more...)
Cardiac Anesthesia
Cardiac surgery is a complex field of medicine with significant risk to patients. Quality anesthesia care with specific attention to detail can greatly enhance patient safety and outcomes. (Read more...)
Neuroanesthesia
Few procedures are as complex as those that fall into the neurosurgical category. A group of 11 highly-specialized anesthesiologists provides anesthesia care for patients needing these surgeries and other related procedures at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. (Read more...)
Pain Management Services
Through Pain Management Services, our aim is to support people to manage acute pain (short-term pain often resulting from surgery or trauma), and chronic pain (pain conditions lasting more than six months that are caused by any number of factors or events). (Read more...)
Pediatric Anesthesia
The pediatric anesthesia team based at the IWK Health Centre provides anesthesia care to Maritime children and youth. While much of their expertise supports surgical activity, the team is active outside of the operating theatre where cases can also be complex and require extended support. (Read more...)
Pediatric Pain Service
Members of the pediatric anesthesia team work with children from birth to adolescence at the IWK Health Centre to help ease their pain. The team provides acute and chronic pain consultation and treatment/management options to children and youth, and their families. (Read more...)
Thoracic Anesthesia
Thoracic surgeries, such as those needed for treatment of conditions affecting the lungs, chest wall and diaphragm, require general anesthesia and, at times, one-lung ventilation. Anesthesia care for thoracic surgeries at the QEII Health Sciences Centre (more than 350 annually) is provided by a specialized group of anesthesiologists. (Read more...)
Transplantation Anesthesia
Anesthesia care for liver, kidney and kidney pancreas transplantation is among the most complex in the specialty. As such, it is provided by a small group of very specialized anesthesiologists who work with surgeons and patients to ensure the highest quality care. (Read more...)
Women’s and Obstetric Anesthesia
Women’s and Obstetric Anesthesia provides comprehensive anesthesia services for maternal, breast health and non-oncology gynecology patients at the IWK Health Centre and the QEII Health Sciences Centre, including tertiary high-risk obstetric and neonatal referrals for the Maritime provinces. (Read more...)
Hospitals and Health Centres
The Dalhousie Department of Anesthesia provides anesthesia services for adults, youth and children in five hospitals/health centres in the Maritime provinces. Each has an anesthesia site chief, charged with the overall administration and management of anesthesia care. (Read more...)
