Page 75 - CASA Bulletin of Anesthesiology 2019 Issue 6

Vol.6, No.6, 2019

My humble and unusual view of the Anesthesia profession

Yong G Peng, MD, Ph .D ., FASE, FASA

I love the practice of anesthesia just as much as I love the game of golf .

Both equally demand one’s mental and physical ability .

The similarities between the two make me passionate about both professions .

Anesthetic preoperative evaluation is just like a practice round of golf, both require an assessment of what
we have to face in the future .

Mask ventilation of a patient can be compared to one’s hold of a golf club, there is a need for good posture
and a comfortable grip, holding firm but not spastic.

Putting an endotracheal tube into the trachea is like putting the ball into the hole, one attempt is a birdie, two
attempts a par, and three attempts a bogey .

Working on the arterial line, central line and nerve block is like chipping and putting, it requires a fine touch
and finesse. If it does not fit, you must quit.

Managing a case intraoperative is like managing a round of golf. You need confidence, control and patience,
avoiding carelessness and frustration and staying away from any hazard .

While facing a difficult condition, you want to be decisive. Avoid aggressiveness and conservativeness.
Being too aggressive will lead to disaster, remaining too conservative will lead to mediocrity . One must instead
assess the challenge and take a wise alternative approach .

To be excellent, you have to love what you do . Both professions require constant practice . Anesthesia is
easy, the hardest challenge is the golf game .

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