The first successful use of anesthesia during surgery took place in Boston, USA, on October 16, 1846. Surgeon and dentist Thomas Morton used inhalation of diethyl ether to create general anesthesia during the removal of a submandibular tumor.

This date was later chosen for the annual World Anesthesiologist Day. In the history of medicine, this discovery is considered one of the most important events, which allows for painless surgical intervention. The celebration highlights the important role of specialists in this field of medicine for safe and effective resuscitation measures.

In more than 150 countries, there are 134 unions that are united in the World Federation and represent the interests of anesthesiologists.

Today, the profession is in demand – in 70 countries, there are only 5 anesthesiologists per 100,000 people. In general, the world lacks more than 136,000 specialists.

Even in the 1st century B.C. the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides was interested in the issue of pain relief. During the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, Dioscorides discovered that medicines made from the poisonous mandrake plant, which have sedative and hypnotic properties, reduce sensitivity to pain and help to successfully carry out operations on wounded soldiers, increasing the chances of their recovery. It is to him that the first use of the term “anesthesia” belongs.