Anaesthesia (Znieczulenie) is streaming now on Netflix in the US, where all eight episodes of its first season have been available since November 4, 2026. Netflix’s first Polish medical drama went live worldwide at 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET that day, and you can watch the entire season with any Netflix subscription — plans start at $8.99 a month.
If The Pitt or the early seasons of ER are your comfort watch, this tense, fast-moving hospital thriller from Poland is built for you. Here is everything you need to start watching, along with the cast, the creative team, and a spoiler-free look at the premise.
Where and when to watch Anaesthesia
- Platform: Netflix (worldwide, including the US)
- Release date: November 4, 2026
- Release time: 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET
- Episodes: All 8 episodes of Season 1, released at once
- Original title: Znieczulenie (Polish)
Because Anaesthesia is a Netflix Original, it arrived on the service everywhere at the same moment — there is no separate US release date to wait for. The title also turns up in some US listings under the American spelling “Anesthesia,” but it is the same show.
How much does it cost to watch?
You only need a standard Netflix subscription; there is no extra rental or purchase. As of November 2026, Netflix’s US pricing is $8.99 a month for Standard with ads, $19.99 for the ad-free Standard tier, and $26.99 for Premium, which adds 4K and up to four simultaneous streams. Any of those plans includes the full season at no additional charge.
What is Anaesthesia about?
Anaesthesia follows Dawid Łazarz, a gifted neurosurgeon whose career at a prestigious hospital collapses after a daring operation goes wrong and a young patient dies. Exiled to a provincial hospital in the northeastern city of Suwałki, he has to rebuild his reputation in an unfamiliar ward where raw talent alone wins no one over. When a train crash floods the hospital with high-risk cases, his bold, rule-bending instincts collide head-on with a team that is not sure it can trust him.
The series uses that setup to press a pointed question: when a brilliant doctor’s judgment has already failed once, how does anyone — colleagues, patients, or the audience — learn to rely on him again? It is less a procedural about miracle saves than a character study about accountability, wrapped in the brisk pace of a medical drama. That framing is why early coverage has floated it as a Polish answer to The Pitt, the ward-level realism of the genre’s latest wave rather than the glossy romance of its past.
Who is in the cast?
Leszek Lichota stars as Dawid Łazarz, the disgraced surgeon at the center of the story. The ensemble around him includes Karolina Gruszka and Aleksandra Popławska among the most recognizable names, along with Masza Wągrocka, Filip Kowalewicz, Dorota Kolak, and Mariusz Bonaszewski. Two characters are worth tracking from the first episode: Jagoda, who offers Dawid a different way of coping with his fall from grace, and the Suwałki colleagues who either embrace or resist his methods as the pressure mounts.
Who made it?
The eight-episode season is directed by Łukasz Ostałski, who previously helmed the Netflix series Family Secrets, from a script by Dana Łukasińska, Bartosz Janiszewski, Marcin Ciastoń, and Beata Halastra. It is a notable launch for the platform: its first homegrown Polish medical drama, arriving just as the genre enjoys a global resurgence and giving English-speaking viewers an easy entry point into one of Europe’s busiest production scenes.
Do I need to understand Polish?
No. Netflix carries Anaesthesia with English subtitles, and the platform typically offers an English dubbing track for its bigger international originals as well. You can switch between subtitles and dubbing from the audio-and-subtitles menu during playback, so the language barrier is a non-issue whether you prefer to read along or listen in English. The series runs eight episodes, which makes it an easy weekend binge rather than a season-long commitment.
Is there a trailer?
Yes. Netflix released an official trailer ahead of the premiere, and it is a quick way to gauge the show’s tone before you commit to all eight episodes.
Will there be a Season 2?
Netflix has not announced a second season. With all eight episodes landing at once on November 4, 2026, the streamer will most likely watch the show’s early viewership before making any decision — the same wait-and-see approach it applies to most new originals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Anaesthesia available in the US? Yes. As a Netflix Original, it has been streaming in the US since its global release on November 4, 2026.
How many episodes are there? Eight, all released on the same day.
Is it in Polish? Yes. The original language is Polish (original title Znieczulenie), with subtitles and dubbing options available through Netflix.
Do I need anything beyond a Netflix subscription? No. Any active Netflix plan includes the full season at no extra cost.
