Medicals & Health Screening
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Surgical & Minor Procedures
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Orthopaedics
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Anaesthetics Department
Anaesthesia has traditionally meant the condition of having the feeling of pain and other sensations blocked. This allows patients to undergo surgery and other procedures without the distress and pain they would otherwise experience. The word was coined by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. in 1846. Another definition is a "reversible lack of awareness", whether this is a total lack of awareness (e.g. a general anaesthestic) or a lack of awareness of a part of a the body such as a spinal anaesthetic or another nerve block would cause.
Dr Chris Parnell FRCA | 
Dr Chris Parnell has been a Consultant Anaesthetist at Medway Maritime Hospital since 1990, joining the staff after a long career in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He is a founder member of Medway Clinicians Chambers. Chris has been deeply involved in medical management throughout his time in Medway and has been Clinical Director for Anaesthesia for a total of over ten years, in two separate stints. He is currently chairman of the medical advisory committee at BUPA (soon to be Spire) Alexandra Hospital and is a member of the national council of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA).
Chris has regular sessions in general and vascular anaesthesia, urology and ENT and has a particular interest in paediatric anaesthesia.
In his spare time, Chris coaches junior rugby at Blackheath FC and is an enthusiastic member of the company at Medway Little theatre.
Dr Narayan Venkat MBBS, DA, FFARCS |
Dr Venkat is a Consultant Anaesthetist and joined the Medway Maritine Hospital in 1991.
His speciality is anaesthesia and Intensive Care, and sub speciality interests are Obstetric analgesia and anaesthesia. His other specialist interests include anaesthesia for Major Uro-oncology, ENT and Head and neck cancer, Laparoscopic Gynaecological surgery. Regional anaesthesia for peri operative pain relief. Paediatric anaesthesia for ENT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
He has practising priviledges at the BUPA Alexandra Hospital, Walderslade, Fawkham Manor Hospital, Longfield, and the Somerfield Hospital, Maidstone, Kent.
