Australia and New Zealand are among the safest places in the world to have an anaesthetic.

Each year, more than four million of us will need the care of an anaesthetist. In fact, most people will at some point be cared for by an anaesthetist: for pain relief during the birth of a baby, for routine day surgery or for a major operation.

Many of today’s operations, especially for the very young, very old or very ill would not be possible without modern anaesthesia.

In this video Professor David A Scott, Director of Anaesthesia at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne (and ANZCA President) explains what an anaesthetist does; how anaesthesia works; and the pain management options available to patients preparing for surgery.