Pain Awareness Month: Elizabeth Leece (BVSc 1994)
September is Pain Awareness Month and the University of Liverpool Veterinary Alumni Association caught up with alumna Elizabeth Leece (BVSc 1994), Head of Anaesthesia and Analgesia at Paragon Veterinary Referrals.
After a residency in veterinary anaesthesia at the University of Liverpool, Liz moved to the Animal Heath Trust and became their Head of Anaesthesia in 2006. She has since worked in a variety of hospitals while acting as a consultant in several clinics across Europe. She is now Head of Anaesthesia and Analgesia at Paragon Veterinary Referrals, concentrating on small animals. Liz is a European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists. She conducts clinical research in small animal analgesia and brachycephalic anaesthesia.
Did anyone inspire you while you were a student?
I graduated in 1994...although it seems like yesterday! Professor Ron Jones helped organise an externship in the United States during my final undergraduate year at Liverpool, where Robin Gleed and Sheilah Robertson inspired me to pursue anaesthesia rather than surgery.
When did you know you wanted to specialise in anaesthesia and analgesia?
I realised that to perform successful surgery on our patients we had to optimise their pain management and support under anaesthesia, so I embarked on an equine internship in anaesthesia and then a residency in anaesthesia and analgesia at Liverpool to learn more and try to inspire others. I wanted to bring a fresh style of teaching of such an important (and a little scary and overlooked) subject and I hope that I have managed that throughout my career, as well as learning a little something from all the patients I have managed. I still learn something every day, particularly regarding chronic pain management.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Go for it: enjoy life, get experience, and embrace every opportunity that comes your way.
Can you give your fellow alumni one top tip for Pain Awareness Month?
Having had surgery myself recently, I can appreciate how there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to pain management. Learn to recognise pain, engage with owners, and adapt your management in both acute and chronic pain for each individual patient. Always use local anaesthetic and never overlook ketamine as an analgesic!
How can alumni follow what you're doing?
You are welcome to join me at an Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists meeting in September, where there will be a collaborative symposium day with the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Or visit my amazing team at Paragon Veterinary Referrals.
Thank you, Liz, for helping us celebrate our alumni with careers in anaesthesia and analgesia for Pain Awareness Month.
If you are enthusiastic about anaesthesia and analgesia, it’s not too late to get in touch to help the ULVAA celebrate Pain Awareness Month! E-mail us at ulvaa@liverpool.ac.uk. We’d love to hear your career story so far.