[Anaesthesia today].

Anaesthesia today is a cross-over of all medical sub-specialities, based on a stable scientific fundament and a high margin of safety. Anaesthetic techniques are sophisticated and enable a differentiated treatment of pre-, intra- and post-operative medical demands. The physician-patient-relationship and the patients' satisfaction are main aspects of peri-operative care by anaesthetists even in the area of conflict by economic pressure. Nonetheless, the credit to anaesthetists given by physicians and also by the general public is inadequate resulting in difficulties to recruit a sufficient percentage of the decreasing number of aspiring physicians. This could be prevented by an improved medical school and training. Anaesthesiologists in science address either fundamental questions as to mechanisms of anaesthesia and epidemiological aspects of peri-operative medicine.