Annals of Medicine

Anesthesia for Challenging and Special Patient Populations

Anesthesia practice never stops changing. As practitioners, we're constantly learning to meet the distinct  needs of our incredibly diverse patient population. Some of the most complicated and fast-moving work we do involves developing anesthesia approaches for patients who bring unique challenges to the operating room. Such patients are those with rare genetic conditions, advanced or multiple chronic illnesses, children and elderly patients, individuals dealing with obesity or addiction issues, and those we treat in hospitals with limited resources. Each of these situations demands something different from us as anesthesiologists.

This Article Collection aims to digs into what it really takes to provide safe, effective, and truly individualized anesthesia care for patients whose needs go far beyond our standard playbook. These cases push us to think differently, problem-solve creatively, and constantly refine our approach. Our goal is to share insights and spark new ideas that will ultimately help both doctors and patients everywhere deliver and receive better care. Surgery techniques become more sophisticated, and we are increasingly treating more patients with complicated medical histories that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago. This reality has forced us to completely rethink how we approach anesthesia - one size definitely doesn't fit all anymore.

Special and challenging patient populations often require multidisciplinary planning, novel pharmacological approaches, and individualized monitoring protocols.  The whole team is involved - surgeons, nurses, specialists, sometimes even social workers - all working together to figure out the best plan to address the complexity of the case. Failure to recognize and respond to these challenges can result in adverse events, compromised recovery, and increased healthcare costs. This Article Collection aims to enhance the knowledge base by sharing current research, clinical experiences, and expert perspectives. Its goal is to equip healthcare providers with the necessary tools to improve safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction, particularly for those whose needs are not adequately met by standard anesthetic care.

This Article Collection welcomes submissions across a spectrum of topics related to anesthesia care for special and challenging patient populations. Key subtopics will focus on perioperative management in patients with rare diseases, anesthetic considerations for the elderly, obstetric, and pediatric populations, strategies for obesity and metabolic syndromes, pain management for patients with substance use disorders, and innovations for care in low-resource settings. Preferred article types include original research, clinical trials, case series and commentaries. The collection seeks diverse contributions that will inform clinical practice, highlight emerging trends, and encourage collaborative problem-solving across disciplines.

Guest Advisors

Dr. Ecaterina Scarlatescu. Section Editor of Anesthesiology - Annals of Medicine. “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.

Dr. Ecaterina Scarlatescu is an accomplished clinician and physician-scientist who specializes in anesthesiology and intensive care for highly complex patient scenarios, including visceral and thoracic surgery, liver transplantation, and comprehensive care for both adult and pediatric populations. Her expertise is highlighted by pioneering research in hemostasis, coagulation disorders, and bleeding management, especially in special populations with sepsis-associated coagulopathy, liver diseases, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Her distinguished international training and multidisciplinary collaborations have enabled her to drive innovation and best practices for the most vulnerable and complex patient groups.

Dr. Berrin Gunaydin. Gazi University School of Medicine Ankara, Turkey

Dr. Berrin Gunaydin is a Professor of Anesthesiology at Gazi University Faculty of Medicine. Born in Kahramanmaraş, she completed her education at Ankara Atatürk Anatolian High School and Ankara University Faculty of Medicine before specializing in Anesthesiology at Gazi University. Her academic credentials include research experience at Amsterdam University and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Gazi University. Currently serving as Chairman of the Clinical Research Ethics Committee at Gazi University, she has also held leadership positions in the Turkish Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation as Chairman of the Obstetric Anesthesia Committee and Deputy Coordinator of the Obstetric Anesthesia Training Course.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisors for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member). The Guest Advisors declare no Conflict of Interests.

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 29th June 2026.

Please contact Francis Straw at [email protected] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system. Please select Anesthesiology from the list of available sections during submission. Failure to select the appropriate Article Collection or Section name can result in delays.