You are here: Home > Admissions > Anaesthetic
The type of anaesthetic depends on the nature, site and duration of the surgery.
General Anaesthetic:
The patient is put into a state of unconsciousness for the whole operation. This involves either giving an injection of an anaesthetic drug or breathing an anaesthetic to make them sleep. While the patient remains unaware of what is happening around them the Anaesthetist monitors their condition closely and constantly adjusts the level of anaesthetic.
Local Anaesthetic:
The patient will be awake but the part being operated on is made numb by an injection. Examples include spinal and epidural anaesthesia, arm blocks and eye blocks. Local anaesthetic is injected into the major nerve pathways to the part of the body where the operation is, or local injection at the site of surgery. The patient can be wide awake, or if preferred, the Anaesthetist can give other drugs to make them relaxed and drowsy.
Anaesthetists are doctors who have specialised in anaesthesia. They spend six years to obtain their medical degree and then a further seven years with examinations and practical experience before qualifying as a specialist Anaesthetist.
Before the operation your health will be assessed. Your Anaesthetist requires information from you to plan the best anaesthetic for you. You will be asked to fill out a Health Questionnaire which is very important as it provides an indication for any investigations you may require before surgery.
Some investigations such as chest x-rays, electrocardiographs and blood tests may be requested. If you smoke, please try to reduce or stop prior to an anaesthetic.
Unless you are asked not to, please continue to take your usual medications on the morning of your operation, especially any for blood pressure, chest or heart problems.
If you are taking diabetic medications (including Insulin), or drugs that thin your blood (including Warfarin), you will need special instructions.
Please follow instructions for the day of operation carefully, including when to stop eating and drinking before the operation. An empty stomach makes it less likely that any vomit could get into your lungs while you are under an anaesthetic.
You will be asked to change to theatre clothes and may be given a “pre med” before coming to the operating theatre. A “pre med” is a tablet to relax you if you are nervous or to help with your pain relief after the operation.
On arrival in the operating theatre you will be met by your Anaesthetist and the theatre team. This includes the nursing staff and the surgeon.
You will be attached to a specialised machine that monitors you continually throughout the operation and an intravenous line is placed in your arm. The monitors help the Anaesthetist to watch your heart, blood pressure, oxygen level and breathing during the operation making sure that you are as comfortable as possible.
You may be asked to breathe in oxygen through a mask as you go off to sleep.
Your Anaesthetist stays with you for the whole operation checking you are comfortable and coping with the procedure. Your surgeon and Anaesthetist work as a team and communicate freely.
After your operation you will wake up in the Recovery Room with an oxygen mask and some monitoring still connected to you to assist with your waking. A specially trained nurse will check you are all right as you recover from your anaesthetic.
Pain Relief
Anaesthetists are trained in a range of methods to treat pain, from simple physical methods to increase comfort through tablets to advanced medical procedures including pain pumps and epidurals. Your Anaesthetist will decide with you what is most suitable for you for the type of surgery you have had.
Day Surgery
If you are going home on the day of your operation it is essential to have someone with you as the full effects of an anaesthetic may not wear off for 24 hours. For this reason you should not drive a car, drink alcohol, use dangerous equipment or sign any important documents for 24 hours after an anaesthetic.
If you have an increase in pain or are feeling sick when you get home, please contact the hospital for advice.
Going to the Ward
Pain relief and fluids will have been charted by your Anaesthetist and the nurses will follow these instructions to keep you comfortable.
Side Effects
One of the aims of a modern anaesthetic is a pleasant painfree awakening. However some of the side effects are unpleasant – nausea and vomiting occur in approximately 10% of patients.
Most side effects can be easily treated with medication.
Your Anaesthetist will plan the safest anaesthetic for you, and is specially trained to deal with any problems that arise, but always remember an anaesthetic is a major medical procedure. Like any other medical procedures, there may be major complications including the risk of dying. Risks are greater in the elderly and very young but nobody is immune.
The chance of dying unexpectedly during anaesthesia if your age is less than 60 years and you are fit and well is about 1 in 200,000.
f you are over 60 years, the risk is greater, approximately 1 in 60,000. This may be higher if you have serious heart or lung conditions.
Apart from causing death there is the possibility of a heart attack, stroke, major nerve or brain damage, organ failure or allergy or awareness during a procedure. These are very rare complications. Each type of anaesthesia has different risks and benefits and every patient reacts to and tolerates anaesthesia differently. The risk you face will depend on your health and the operation you are having.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.