Dr Jonathan Healan describes a busy day in anaesthetics

Mrs B was a 57-year-old lady with a past history of breast cancer treated with mastectomy and adjuvant therapy. She re-presented to her consultant breast surgeon, Mr F, three years after the original surgery with a worrying 2cm lump in the vicinity of her mastectomy scar.

Mrs H, a 28-year-old massage therapist, was admitted to hospital for laparoscopic tubal ligation. Dr T was the anaesthetist for this surgery.

Many new doctors are pushed to the limits of their competence – if you feel out of your depth speak up before it’s too late, says Dr Jo Pointon.

Mr Y, a 35-year-old marine engineer, was undergoing surgery in the posterior compartment of the thigh to treat a congenital vascular lesion. Mr O, consultant vascular surgeon, was carrying out the procedure. The lesion was closely related to the sciatic nerve and some of its branches, and Mr O was hoping to avoid damaging the sciatic bundle, if possible.

Mr R was a healthy 17-year-old student who suffered with a severe form of palmar hyperhidrosis. Mr R’s GP referred him to Mr F, a cardiothoracic surgeon. Following discussion about possible alternative treatment, Mr R was very keen on the surgical option, so Mr F placed him on the waiting list for a right-sided transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy.

Mrs D had suffered with degenerative disease of her entire spine for some time. Since the early 1990s she had been seeing Dr M, pain specialist and consultant anaesthetist, privately. In 1998, Mrs D underwent a Cloward’s cervical spinal-fusion procedure under the care of a neurosurgeon. In June of the same year she went back to Dr M, asking to see him as an emergency.