Patient Information

CHRONIC MEDICATION BEFORE ARRIVAL

It is absolutely normal to be nervous before surgery. Whatever the reason, it normally helps to be informed on what to expect!

Before arrival:

Please bring a list of all the medication you are currently using, as well as recent blood or other test results.
Please inform us of any drugs that prevent your blood from clotting (‘blood thinning drug’). Some of these drugs need to be stopped up to two weeks before surgery.
Omit diabetic treatment the morning of your surgery to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Remember that you will be starved the day of surgery.
Please take your blood pressure medication as usual the day of surgery to prevent uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).
Please get to the hospital early to leave you with ample time for the admission process; it can be very time consuming.

PRE-OPERATIVE FASTING

(when to stop eating before your surgery or procedure)

There is an enormous risk involved when anaesthesia is administered while your stomach contains food! To ensure that your stomach is empty, a certain period of time is required for you to be starved before your anaesthesia.

The following times apply:

8 hours for a large fatty meal
6 hours for a normal meal (including milk)
4 hours for breast milk
2 hours for clear fluids e.g. water, clear apple juice or clear energy drinks.

When in doubt, call us for advice. Non-compliance will lead to postponement of your surgery. Remember your safety is our primary concern!

TYPES OF ANAESTESIA

General anaesthesia

Often referred to as a “GA”.
We will put you in a state of controlled unconsciousness which will make you unaware of your surroundings. This is done with the aid of injected medication or inhaled gasses or a combination thereof.
These agents inhibit feeling, nerve conduction and movement at the level of the brain and the nerves

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Local anaesthesia

Often called “local”.
Parts of your body are numbed to prevent you from feeling anything in a certain body part or moving it.
This can be used as a sole method of anaesthesia. It can also be used in conjunction with general anaesthesia. In either case, it will aid you with post-operative pain relief.

i. Regional anaesthesia

Neuraxial blocks: Local anaestetic is injected into your lower back and will not only numb your lower body, but temporarily paralyze your lower body e.g.:
- Spinal
- Epidural
- Caudal

Peripheral nerve blocks: Local anaesthetic is injected around one or a group of nerves, making a limb or a part of a limb numb and temporarily paralyzed. This could range from a whole limb to as little as a single finger or toe.

ii. Local infiltration: Local anaesthetic is injected into the operation site to minimise pain and cause numbness.

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Conscious sedation

Drugs and gasses are used to make you drowsy yet rousable.
Sedation is often combined with some form of local anaesthesia.
Eye surgery (cataract removal) and large joint replacements are often done with a local anaestesia/sedation combination.
Endoscopic investigation of your stomach and bowel are predominantly done under sedation alone.

POST-OPERATIVE

Directly after your surgery or procedure, you will be taken to the recovery room, where you will be kept until you are fully awake. Your blood pressure, heart rate and the blood oxygen saturation will be monitored to ensure that they are stable and that it is safe for you to be discharged to the ward. The recovery personnel must also ensure that you are comfortable, that your pain is bearable and that you are not nauseous. From here, you will be discharged to the ward or to a high care unit where the qualified and caring nursing staff will continue the care initiated in the recovery room.

We seldom work in the same hospital on consecutive days, which means that we rarely see you the day after surgery. Should you have any concerns, uncertainties, questions or complaints please don’t hesitate to contact us via any of the supplied methods.

ANAESTHETIC COMPLICATIONS

Despite preventative measures, advancement in anaesthesia and the best anaethetic technique applied, anaesthesia involves a certain amount of risk. The relative incidence of complications are tabled below:

Common 1-10%

Nausia
Sore throat
Headache/dizziness
Pain on injection
Swelling of injection site
Confusion

Rare 1 in 1,000

Damage to teeth, lips, mouth
Hoarse voice
Difficulty urinating
Difficulty breathing
Worsening medical condition

Very Rare 1 in 150,000

Allergic reaction to drugs or equipment
Eye injuries
Genetic/inherited abnormal reaction to anaesthesia
Nerve injuries or paralysis
Awareness

Extremely Rare Death/Brain Damage

Severely worsening medical condition
Heart attack
Stroke
Emboli
Massive bleeding
Lack of oxygen

CONSENT

You will receive an anaesthetic form before your surgery either in the ward or from your surgeon. Please complete all the relative information sections accurately and honestly; your safety depends on it. There is a section regarding consent. The consent is divided into two parts, the first of which gives us consent to administer the anaesthetic. The second part deals with the account for the services that we will be delivering to you, our patient. Please take the opportunity to inform yourself about the consent that you are giving. In order for us to continue with the anaesthesia for your surgery, you need to sign both divisions of the consent.

Please see the downloadable PDF consent forms from the Main Menu: “Procedure Info & Consent”.