Abstract
Operative anesthesia given by anesthesiologists is intended to protect patients from operative stress, while palliative care is intended to protect patients from illness-related stress. Regardless of the stage of illness, it is necessary to create environments that allow patients, their families and medical staff to concentrate on providing/receiving treatments and care without anxiety. For anesthesiologists serving as specialists in stress control medicine, there has been an expansion of relevant fields (not confined to the perioperative period) in which their sophisticated skills and support can be provided. The authors will discuss how anesthesiologists should be involved in palliative care, citing intrathecal analgesia as an example.
