Aletta Houwink

Since 2015, I have enjoyed working as a 50% anesthesiologist and 50% intensivist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.

As an anesthesiologist, I inform and guide the patient prior to surgery. During the operation, I make sure that the patient does not notice anything and I make sure that they come through the operation stable and wake up with as little pain as possible. And as an intensivist, I care for patients after their surgery or for patients who have experienced side effects of oncological treatments in our Intensive Care Unit. Guiding patients and family members in this exciting phase gives me satisfaction.

What makes the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek special for me is that everyone is committed to providing the best care from his/her expertise to that one specific patient, sometimes causing friction in the quality and quantity of life in oncology.