Technology and the future of anesthesiology

Abstract

Technological advances are leading to the possibility of remotely controlled or veven completely autonomous delivery of anesthesia. Advances in other specialties, as well as the paradigm shift towards functional medicine, are promising improvement in overall state of health, and reducing the numbers and types of surgical procedures, thereby reducing the required numbers of the relevant workforce, including anesthetists, in future. The specialty of anesthesia needs to transform into a more over-arching role of perioperative medicine in order to stay relevant.