SURGEON - ANESTHESIOLOGIST RELATIONSHIP

The rapidly changing global scenario especially in medical sciences in the 21 st century is the inspiration for a discussion about the future of anesthesiology and surgeon-anesthesiologist relationship. The aim of this study was to find out whether an anesthesiologist chooses his specialization by his own choice or due to failure to specialize in any other discipline, whether anesthesiologists feel dominated and dictated by surgeons, whether in surgeon‘s opinion anesthesiologists frequently try to avoid performing anesthesia and ways to improve relationships between anesthesiologists and surgeons. A survey was conducted and 104 Indian anesthesiologists and 104 Indian surgeons were asked to fill in a questionnaire. Analysis of the answers obtained allowed the authors to conclude that 1) An anesthesiologist chooses his specialization according to his interests and not because of failure to specialize in another discipline. 2) Majority of the anesthesiologists feel they are dominated and dictated by surgeons. 3) According to surgeons, anesthesiologists frequently do everything to avoid performing anesthesia, although anesthesiologists feel that in the event of cancellation of a case they do have a reasonable ground to do so. 4) In case of a strained professional relationship, there are several suggested ways to improve relationships between anesthesiologists and surgeons. The results of this survey revealed that anesthesiologists chooses their specialization according to their own interests and they should not have reasons for negative self-esteem, although majority of them feel dominated and dictated by surgeons. Majority of surgeons feel that anesthesiologists frequently do everything to avoid performing anesthesia, although anesthesiologists feel that in the event of a cancellation of a case they do have a reasonable ground to do so. Anesthesiologists should hope for good interdisciplinary cooperation with the surgeons in the future, and to do so the authors have suggested several positive steps to improve relationships between anesthesiologists and surgeons.