Anesthesiology, anesthesia or anesthetics is the medical specialty that focuses on pre-operative medicine and the administration of anesthesia.
In Anaesthesiology the major practice is where the patient is put into a medical coma. This is done to operate without the individual responding to pain (analgesia) during surgery or remembering the surgery.
If general anesthesia is not required, then regional anesthesia can also be given to induce analgesia in a region of the body. For example, epidural administration of a local anesthetic is commonly given to the mother during childbirth to perform ceaserian section and reduce the pain while permitting the mother to be awake and active in labor & delivery.
Anesthesiologists often also undertake non-surgical pain relief and critical care management that includes working in an intensive care unit (ICU).
