Israel González: The Imprint of an Anesthesiologist

Israel González del Pino Ruz remains in the surgical unit of the Pediatric Hospital on a Friday morning. It could be one of those ordinary days, where the workday passes without major shocks, until a colleague approaches and congratulates him with an effusive hug:

«Congratulations, doctor!» says the woman, and the physician shows a nervous smile, the fruit of the humility and a certain shyness that sometimes accompanies him.

Today is certainly his day, because the world dedicates this date, October 16, to celebrating International Anesthesiologist’s Day, and it has been 22 years since Israel decided on this specialty, although he assures that he does not really know the reason for his choice.

Previously he had never had any reference about Anesthesiology and Resuscitation. When he began his studies, he began to discover the fascinating world that the career offered him and the importance it holds for the patient’s health. Above all in preoperative care, during surgery, and in the postoperative period.

In the surgical «team,» the anesthesiologist plays a transcendental role, even long before entering the operating room. He must evaluate the patient through questioning accompanied by a physical examination.

He must evaluate the risks, and sometimes it will even be necessary to develop multidisciplinary work with other specialties such as Cardiology, Internal Medicine, and Pulmonology — an indispensable step for the surgical intervention to be a complete success.

«The anesthesiologist is the maximum responsible for the patient’s life. It is not only keeping them asleep and not feeling pain; it is protecting their organs, their functions. Patients always confess to you their fear of waking up during surgery.

«We also intervene in the postoperative period. Complications must be avoided during anesthetic induction and intubation, staying attentive to all parameters, and then when the patient leaves that phase.»

It is an induced coma that alters their physiology, which is why Israel remains very attentive and without stepping away for a second when the patient arrives at the recovery room.

«As I read in a text recently, more than putting them to sleep, the success lies in waking them up and waking them up healthy,» he expressed with a slight smile.

Israel González confesses that he is in love with his specialty. Although sometimes it is somewhat hard for him to shake off the heavy burden of daily life, once at the Eliseo Noel Caamaño Pediatric Hospital he feels he breathes differently. Oxygen reaches his lungs pure, and every sensation is pleasant. It is that place where he finds peace, where he feels at ease and fulfilled.

«No one would believe it,» he comments, «but I have had great work opportunities outside Cuba, and I cannot detach myself from this vital and indispensable space that this center is for me.»

Nothing moves him more than hearing a mother’s phrase when she says: «Take care of my child for me!» minutes before the operation. Hence the responsibility he has assumed with the family and the patients, especially because they are children.

«And grateful children, because many, when they see me — and although the parents don’t realize who I am — they do recognize me and greet me with affection.»

Perhaps because he is the first face they observe when they regain consciousness in the recovery room, after such a tense moment.

«You can’t imagine what it means for the anesthesiologist to hear the thanks of such a small being, but one who manages to understand your work and thanks you for your dedication,» he expresses with emotion.

Among the moments that most marked his professional work, he recalls that complex surgical intervention that almost cost a patient his life.

The child suffered several cardiac arrests during the operative process. The tense situation put the medical «team» in check until total recovery was finally achieved.

«That child became a man, and today he is a Doctor and colleague.»

Israel also works as a teacher, a facet he likes and which commits him more given the need for constant updating of scientific novelties in his specialty.

He assumes that role with great demand, because with his constant preparation he will be able to contribute to the formation of new generations of anesthesiologists.