Preparing for day surgery

The day surgery team will let you know when to arrive. It may be 2 or 3 hours before your surgery.

After settling into the day surgery section of the hospital, you'll be checked by a nurse. Your anaesthetist may also visit you.

They may examine you, review your health history questionnaire and ask you more questions, such as:

how have you reacted to other anaesthetic and operations that you've had?
has anyone in your family had problems with anaesthetics?
what medicines or tablets are you taking?
are you allergic to anything or had a bad reaction to anything?
what are your past and present medical problems?
what are your smoking and drinking habits?
have you had dental work?
do you have digestive problems or reflux?

Before surgery

You can't eat or drink before your operation. You'll be told before you come to hospital how long you'll need to go without food. It's usually at least 6 hours before you have your surgery. You can check this with your doctor.

You may need to get more tests done. This could be another physical check. Your anaesthetist may also order extra tests.

Your anaesthetist will talk about the anaesthesia with you. They might give you some medicine just before your operation to help you feel sleepy and relaxed.

You may be asked to remove any false teeth and jewellery.

Anaesthesia for day surgery

Before your operation, you'll be taken to the operating room to have the anaesthetic. The type of anaesthetic depends on the type of surgery and your health.

Types of anaesthesia

General anaesthesia

This is usually done with an injection into a vein in the back of your hand to make sure you don’t feel anything. You won’t be conscious for your procedure if you have a general anaesthesia.

Regional anaesthesia

This is more complex - ask your doctor for more information.

Local anaesthesia

This is generally used for small and simple procedures with only the immediate area surrounding the injection is numbed.

Straight after the surgery

After your operation you'll be taken to a recovery room. You might not remember much of this because of the medications you've been given.

If you were given a local anaesthetic for a small procedure, you'll be discharged shortly after your surgery. You may stay in the day surgery for one or two hours after leaving the recovery room.

You'll need to have a friend or family member drive you home.

Side effects and complications of anaesthesia

Some of the side effects and possible complications of anaesthesia include:

drowsiness
sore throat
nausea
dizziness
blurred vision
short term memory loss
bleeding at the injection site
infection at the injection site
low blood pressure
headache
temporary nerve damage
kidney failure
liver failure
allergic reaction to the anaesthetic
seizure
muscle aches
dental injury.

You can discuss these with your GP or specialist.

Taking care of yourself at home

If you've been given sedatives, pain relievers or general anaesthesia, you may feel drowsy after your procedure.

This is because a small amount of the anaesthetic may remain in your body. This can slow your reaction time and affect your judgement for the next 24 hours.

During this time, you shouldn't:

drive a car
operate dangerous machinery
drink alcohol
sign any documents
care for young children without other adult help.