ABSTRACT
Anaesthesia was first successfully demonstrated by William Morton, a local dentist, at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA on 16 October 1846 when he administered ether to Gilbert Abbot for an operation on a vascular tumour on his neck. General anaesthesia is commonly described as the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation. Induction of general anaesthesia is most frequently done by intravenous agents. Total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) is becoming popular following the introduction of propofol and the ultrashort-acting opioid remifentanil. TIVA is routinely used in neurosurgery, airway laser surgery, during cardiopulmonary bypass and for day case anaesthesia. Most patients will experience pain after surgery. Pain is a common symptom associated with cancer, even more so during the advanced stages. In surgical practice, patients with chronic pain may present for treatment of the cause or concomitant benign pathology. Paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the mainstays of musculoskeletal pain treatment.
