Gary Minto trained as an anaesthetist in London, the South West, South Africa and Australia & is a consultant in Plymouth, Devon. His professional interests are in perioperative medicine: risk stratification, interventions like fluid therapy to improve outcome after major surgery and metrics to measure recovery. He is a reasonably fit ASA 1 man in his mid 40s who remains sceptical that any of these interventions would improve his own outcome were he to have a major operation.