ABOUT US

Our practice consists of nine specialist anaesthesiologists. We have a close working relationship with several surgeons in different hospitals throughout the greater Pretoria area. Your surgeon chose us to deliver the anaesthetic service to all his patients undergoing a procedure under anaesthetic.

Because of this longstanding professional relationship between your surgeon and our anaesthetic firm, there is extensive insight into each other’s fields, which in turn qualifies us, as the best medical team for your surgery.

The Van Zyl Anaesthesiology practice was founded in 1997. After qualifying as general practitioners (GPs), all of our partners obtained their postgraduate Master’s degrees in Anesthesiology (MMed and/or FCA). In total, each doctor has a minimum of twelve years of full time studying and training. Individually, we have each spent more than 10,000 hours mastering our craft: the number of hours needed as a minimum to be regarded as an expert.

Since the first anaesthetic in 1846 by WTG Morton, anaesthesia has evolved into a science enabling surgeons to perform invasive procedures with a mortality rate of less than 0,001 %. This can only be achieved with modern day technology, knowledge, and you, the patient’s full co-operation and honesty regarding your current and past health. View medical history anaesthetic form

Because of medical aid policies and time constraints, you will probably only meet your anaesthesiologist on the day of your procedure or surgery. In certain instances (depending on the extent of the surgery or your medical condition), you might meet any one of the associates of our firm the day before surgery. You will then most likely only meet your particular anaesthesiologist in theatre, but with all the knowledge already gained from the visit of an associate the previous day. During this pre-operative consultation, your full medical history, the current chronic medication you are using as well as your previous surgical and anaesthsesiological experiences will be discussed. After careful consideration of all the above factors, a specific anaesthetic plan will be decided on, sometimes only after deliberation between our fellow anaesthsiologists.

Contrary to what people might think, we are actively involved throughout the whole of your surgical procedure. We constantly monitor various physiological parameters and then act upon abnormalities, and thus maintain good functioning of your whole body. This could include, but is not restricted to your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, gut, muscles and endocrine system. This in particular is what we are qualified to do.

Furthermore, we often perform certain procedures to aid the surgeon during the operation. During your surgery we might have to administer certain drugs via complicated infusions; we could perform blocks which could aid in local pain relief or insert invasive monitoring devices that could help us monitor the stability of your bodily functions during, but also after completion of your surgery. This will play a pivotal role in your recuperation.