Merits and Demerits of Anesthesia by Surgeon and Social Status of Anesthesiologist

Abstract

Although the number of anesthesiologists has steadily increased in Japan, the shortage of anesthesiologists remains a problem. There are still many surgical cases whose general anesthesia is performed by a surgeon. Anesthesia by surgeon can hardly be standardized, and the levels of anesthetic technique and knowledge may vary among surgeons. Anesthesia by surgeon may, therefore, tend to become insufficient for promoting perioperative patient safety and team-oriented medical practice. To ensure the quality of anesthesia, anesthesiologists should train surgeons who continue to practice anesthesia in clinical anesthesia and help them study updated anesthesiology. Such support and cooperation from anesthesiologists may contribute to improving the social standing of our profession. On the other hand, if surgeons perform anesthesia in order to increase their own income, this needs to be dealt with in some way including institutional regulations at the academic society or government level.