Dr Malcolm Albany

NSW - Sydney Specialist Anaesthetist (MBBS BSc(Med) FANZCA DipClinUS)

Pre-Op Questionnaire for Dr Malcolm Albany Patient Experience Survey for Dr Malcolm Albany

Hello,

I am a Specialist Anaesthetist.

My practice is split between the public and private sectors and regularly includes anaesthesia for orthopaedic, obstetric and emergency surgery amongst others. My public work is at Concord and Northern Beaches Hospitals. My private practice extends to Macquarie University Hospital, Nepean Private, Waratah Private and Somerset Private.

I am actively involved in training students, registrars and other anaesthetists. My key area of interest and focus for teaching is ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia. I have been on the teaching circuit in this subspecialty for over 15 years. The ability to provide better pain relief whilst minimising the need for excessive opiates has been a game changer, particularly in orthopaedic surgery.

I look forward to being involved in your care.

Why do you need someone like me?
As an Anaesthetist, I am a medical specialist who helps you through your operation. I have spent 16+ years studying and training to look after you before, during and after your operation. I am an Australian doctor who is officially recognised as a consultant in the specialty of anaesthesia.

What do you need to do?
Every person is different. Pre-operative assessment is very important in order to give you the safest anaesthetic possible. This is why I require you to complete the Pre-Op Health Questionnaire. I need to understand your complete medical history to choose the best anaesthetic medicine and technique for you which may involve general anaesthesia, regional anaesthesia or a combination of the two. Completing this as soon as possible allows time for any further assessment or investigations that are occasionally necessary before a case. It also allows me to review your medications to give you advice prior to the day of surgery.

Fasting prior to your procedure
Fasting is very important prior to your anaesthetic to keep you safe from aspirating stomach contents into your lungs by ensuring your stomach is empty. Please note that during the fasting period nothing is to enter your mouth - not chewing gum, nor lollies (eg. 'mints') or anything else. The only exception to this is small amounts of water to assist with taking tablets. The hospital will let you know what time you need to fast from. More details on fasting and why anaesthetists worry about aspiration can be found in my FAQ document (link).

What are the risks?
Australia is the safest country in the world to undergo an anaesthetic. Nonetheless, every anaesthetic involves some risk. There are minor complications that do not affect long-term quality of life but can be unpleasant, and there are major complications that occur very rarely but do impact on a patient’s long-term functional capacity and quality of life. More details are available in my FAQ document (link). I will discuss the relevant risks with you when we talk, and I would encourage you to ask me any specific questions that you may have.

What are the fees?
The fee for your anaesthetic is primarily dependent on the procedure, your state of health and the time spent under my care. There will be an out-of-pocket expense, otherwise known as the gap, and this will depend on your health insurance. I utilise the "known gap" option provided by better insurers whereby the fund pays a greater rebate to the patient. For uninsured patients the anaesthetic fee is normally paid in full prior to your admission. Otherwise you will receive an invoice from my rooms. My rooms will email you with a quotation 24-48 hours prior to surgery. If you would like earlier notification please indicate this in the pre op questionnaire and I will endeavour to make this happen.

All feedback welcome
Once you have recovered from your admission to hospital, I would appreciate you taking just a few minutes to complete my Patient Experience Survey. Your answers are completely anonymous and will help me greatly in improving the way I care for patients in the future.

I look forward to providing you with a high level of personalised anaesthesia care. For further information and billing information please follow this link, or feel free to contact me directly.

Don't forget the questionnaire!

Best regards
Dr Malcolm Albany
MBBS BSc(Med) UNSW
FANZCA DipClinUS