Head of Department:

Prof J Thomas

Departmental Profile

The Department of Paediatric Anaesthesia, a division of the Department of Anaesthetics(UCT) and the School of Child and Adolescent Health, is responsible for the provision of anaesthesia for all children and neonates undergoing surgery, provision of acute and chronic pain management in children and to assist in intensive care. The Unit is jointly managed by Principal Specialist , Dr A Butt and assisted by two senior specialists, Drs Thomas and Lopez. Prof Bosenberg, the 2nd Chair in Anaesthesia at UCT, manages the staffing portfolio and provides clinical assistance together with two rotating specialists. We are fortunate to have a good relationship with the private sector who provide sessional back up for an understaffed department. The department has no secretarial support and therefore no permanent office, telephone or fax.

In addition to training and teaching of postgraduate and undergraduate students members of the department have lectured both nationally and internationally. They have also been involved with training and teaching in other disciplines; lectured to general practitioners, pharmacists, emergency medicine students, paramedics, APLS instructors and Palliative care personnel.

Research fields & Personnel

Professor Bosenberg

Regional anaesthesia in neonates and children: Use of ultrasound in RA; Post-operative pain management; Difficult airway: Bronchoscopic findings in oesophageal atresia; Anaesthesia in children with syndromes and metabolic disorders.

Jenny Thomas
Pain management in general but particular in children with Burns; HIV; Drug interactions in HIV pain management (HAART, TB statics, analgesics)

Tony Butt
Fluid management; Epidural analgesia.

Tessa Lopez
Fluid management on cardiopulmonary bypass; Blood transfusion.