Top 5 Anesthesia & Intensive Care Clinics in Amman 2026

When do you need anaesthesia, intensive care or pain medicine?

Anaesthesiology covers three related areas of care.

• Anaesthesia: anaesthetists assess patients before surgery and provide general, regional (spinal or nerve block) or local anaesthesia. They also monitor breathing, heart rate and blood pressure during the operation and in recovery.
• Intensive care: these doctors look after critically ill patients in hospital intensive care units.
• Pain medicine: many anaesthesiologists go on to specialise in assessing and treating long-term pain.

In practice, you rarely book an anaesthetist on your own. Anaesthesia is arranged by the hospital or centre where your surgery takes place. Intensive care admission happens through a hospital's emergency department or wards. When people search for the best anesthesia & intensive care clinics in Amman, they are usually looking for one of two things:

• an outpatient pain clinic
• an anaesthesia team linked to a hospital where they are already being treated

Signs it may be worth booking a pain-medicine consultation

• Pain in the back, neck or joints that has lasted for months despite treatment from your family doctor or specialist
• Nerve-type pain: burning, tingling, electric-shock sensations or numbness that keeps returning
• Pain that continues long after an operation has healed
• Pain related to cancer or its treatment that is not well controlled
• Pain medicines that cause side effects, or worries about long-term use

You may also want to speak with the anaesthesia team before surgery if any of these apply:

• you had a bad reaction to anaesthesia in the past
• a relative had a serious problem with anaesthesia
• you have sleep apnoea or a long-term heart or lung condition

Warning signs that need urgent care

Do not wait for a clinic appointment. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if you or someone with you has:

• Chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting or confusion
• Sudden weakness, numbness or drooping of the face, arm or leg
• Back pain together with numbness around the groin or buttocks, new loss of bladder or bowel control, or weakness in both legs
• Back pain with fever or after a fall or accident
• After surgery: difficulty breathing, high fever, rapidly worsening pain, or a swollen, painful calf

How to choose among the clinics here

Start with what you actually need.

• Anaesthesia for a planned operation: this is normally provided by the hospital where your surgeon operates. Ask your surgeon how the pre-operative assessment is arranged.
• Cancer patients: King Hussein Cancer Center's profile names two doctors under Anesthesia & Intensive Care within its wider cancer team. Access is through the centre's own appointment routes.
• Orthopaedic and surgical care: Istiklal Hospital Outpatient Clinics' published services focus on orthopaedic and surgical care, with minor nail surgery under local anaesthesia among them.
• Long-term pain: compare the three pain clinics by their stated scope.
• Dr. Samer Abdel Aziz describes evaluating back, neck, joint and nerve pain.
• Dr. Ihsan Fahmi Shanti describes assessing chronic pain and reviewing investigations.
• Dr. Mohammad Hamarsha lists spine, joint and neuropathic pain, chronic postoperative pain and cancer-related pain.

Other practical points:

• Hours: all five profiles list Saturday to Thursday hours, but closing times range from 15:00 to 17:00. Check which fits your work or school schedule.
• Coordination: if you already have a surgeon, oncologist or family doctor, ask whether the clinic will send them a summary of the plan.
• Where procedures happen: if an interventional option is suggested, ask where it would take place, who performs it and what monitoring is used.
• The order of this list: it reflects profile completeness only. A clinic placed lower is not less capable, and a higher place does not mean better results.

What to expect at the first visit

A pain-medicine consultation usually begins with a detailed history. You will be asked where the pain is, when it started, what makes it better or worse, and how it affects sleep, work and mood. A physical examination and a review of any scans or tests follow. You may then discuss:

• conservative options such as physiotherapy, exercise and medicine review
• whether an intervention is worth considering

No single approach suits everyone, so expect the plan to be tailored and reviewed over time.

What to bring

• Reports and images from previous X-rays, MRI or CT scans, and blood tests
• A full list of your medicines, including over-the-counter products and herbal supplements
• Details of any allergies and any previous reaction to anaesthesia or sedation
• A short pain diary covering a week or two, if you can manage it
• Your ID, and your insurance card if you plan to use it

If you take blood thinners or diabetes medicines, mention this clearly. Do not stop or change any medicine unless the treating doctor tells you to. Before surgery, follow the fasting instructions given by the hospital exactly.

Questions worth asking

• What do you think is causing my pain, and what else could it be?
• What are the conservative and interventional options, and what are the risks of each?
• How will we judge whether treatment is working, and what happens if it does not?
• Will I need someone to drive me home after any procedure?

Insurance, fees and booking: what to ask before the appointment

None of the five profiles publishes a consultation fee, so ask when you book. Istiklal Hospital Outpatient Clinics lists Arab Orient Insurance. Whatever your policy, confirm coverage with both the clinic and your insurer. Useful questions include:

• What is the consultation fee, and is a follow-up visit charged separately?
• If a procedure is recommended, is it billed by the clinic or by a hospital, and are imaging or sedation charged on top?
• Does my insurer need a referral or pre-approval before the visit or the procedure?
• How long is the usual wait for a first appointment?

At King Hussein Cancer Center, new patient appointments go through Patient Affairs. Existing patients arrange follow-up through the patient communication office. At Istiklal Hospital Outpatient Clinics, outpatient reception coordinates consultations and confirms the floor and room.

Getting there

The five profiles are spread across different parts of Amman:

• Arjan: Istiklal Hospital Outpatient Clinics, at the intersection of Jordan Street and Istiklal Street
• Jubeiha: King Hussein Cancer Center
• Shmeisani: Dr. Samer Abdel Aziz's clinic
• Fifth Circle: the clinics of Dr. Ihsan Fahmi Shanti and Dr. Mohammad Hamarsha

Traffic across the capital varies a lot by time of day. Check your route at the hour you will actually travel, whether you are coming from Khalda, Tla' Al-Ali, Abdoun or elsewhere. Ask the clinic which building, floor and room to go to, and allow time for parking. If you may receive sedation or a procedure, arrange for someone to drive you home. Patients are commonly advised not to drive afterwards.

Checklist before you book

• Decide whether you need a pain consultation, cancer-related care or a surgical opinion
• Read each profile's stated scope and services
• Confirm the opening hours and how appointments are booked
• Ask about the consultation fee and any separate procedure costs
• Check insurance coverage, referral and pre-approval rules with your insurer
• Gather scans, reports and a full medicine list
• Note any past reactions to anaesthesia and any allergies
• Plan your route and, if needed, a driver for the return trip
• Know the warning signs that mean calling 911 instead of waiting