Anaesthesia and perioperative care
About this PSP
Anaesthesia and Perioperative Care encompasses almost every aspect of caring for patients undergoing surgery. This includes ensuring that patients are well prepared before surgery, keeping them safe during surgery, and facilitating their recovery afterwards. The PSP was initiated by the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia and supported by a wide range of partners and funders.
The Anaesthesia and Perioperative Care PSP published its Top 10 in May 2015.
Further information
Impact of Top 10s
Top 10 priorities
(in no order of priority)
- What can we do to stop patients developing chronic pain after surgery?
- How can patient care around the time of emergency surgery be improved?
- What long-term harm may result from anaesthesia, particularly following repeated anaesthetics?
- What outcomes should we use to measure the 'success' of anaesthesia and perioperative care?
- For which patients does regional (local) anaesthesia give better outcomes than general anaesthesia?
- What are the effects of anaesthesia on the developing brain?
- How can we improve recovery from surgery for elderly patients?
- Do enhanced recovery programmes (fast-track surgery to speed up patient recovery) improve short and long-term outcomes?
- How can pre-operative exercise or fitness training, including physiotherapy, improve outcomes after surgery?
- How can we improve communication between the teams looking after patients throughout their surgical journey?
The remaining questions discussed at the workshop were (in no order of priority)
- How can we reduce the effects of anaesthesia on brain function, particularly in the elderly?
- Does post-operative intensive care improve outcomes in higher risk patients having major surgery?
- What are the consequences of low blood pressure around the time of surgery, particularly in the elderly?
- Does cardiac output monitoring improve outcomes after surgery? How can we improve cardiac output monitoring?
- How can the anaesthetist help reduce the risk of complications after surgery?
- How can we reduce complications (adverse events) after surgery?
- How can operating theatre efficiency be improved?
- What should be discussed with patients before surgery and what is the best setting for this discussion?
- How can we most effectively deliver training to improve quality and safety in anaesthesia and perioperative care?
- How can anaesthetic technique and perioperative care help reduce the risk of cancer recurrence?
- What is the best choice of intravenous fluids to improve outcomes after surgery?
- How can we reduce the risks of anaesthesia in elderly patients?
- How can pre-operative assessment for adults be improved?
- How do epidurals affect progress and outcomes of labour (childbirth) and how can adverse effects be minimised?
- How can we improve patient recovery from surgery?