Anaesthesia is a carefully controlled and supervised state, which allows surgery to be performed painlessly. It is more than being put to sleep.

The information below has been prepared to answer your questions and to help ease your mind about the anaesthetic you are to have.

Your anaesthetist is a fully trained, medically qualified doctor who has
chosen to specialise in anaesthesia. This involves caring for patients before, during and after operations. Where appropriate, you will be
anaesthetised by an anaesthetic specialist consultant.

All consultant anaesthetists are fellows of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (or have an equivalent qualification).Your consultant anaesthetist will be assisted by theatre staff who are also specifically trained.

There are two main types of anaesthetic: General (where you are unconscious) and regional (using a local anaesthetic to
numb parts of the body).

In some cases a combination of both may be used.

General Anaesthetic is when you are put into a state of  unconsciousness for the duration of your operation. This is achieved and maintained by giving drugs into a vein and/or by a mixture of gases, which you breathe.

This involves an injection of local anaesthetic,which numbs a particular
part of the body therefore preventing any feeling of pain. Examples are injections into your back (a spinal or epidural), injections into your arm or leg and local anaesthesia for the eye.

You can remain awake but you will be free from pain and sensation. If you wish, you may also receive some tranquilliser or sedative. Your anaesthetist will explain more if you are having this type of anaesthesia.

If you are a smoker you should try to stop smoking for as long as possible before-hand.Your GP/Pharmacist may be able to help you with this and this will help to reduce chest problems after your operation.You should avoid drinking alcohol the night before your surgery.

You must continue to take any prescribed medicines up to and including the day of surgery,unless you have been told to stop by your surgeon or anaesthetist.

• Do not eat (nor drink milk) for 6 hours before the anaesthetic
• Have a light meal the night before the operation
• Do not have anything to drink for 2 hours prior to your admission 
• Do not chew gum

If you don’t follow this guidance, your operation may be postponed for safety reasons.

We need the best possible picture of your health and preferences so that the most suitable anaesthetic can be planned for you. The aim is to minimise risks.

Please tell the anaesthetist about:

• any medical problems you have, especially heart disease, chest disease
• or diabetes any medications you take (whether prescribed or bought at a chemist) - Please bring a list of your medicines and the bottles or boxes your medicines come in
• any allergies you have (and not only to drugs)
• if you have had any previous problems with an anaesthetic
• if anyone in your family has had problems with an anaesthetic 
• if you have loose teeth, dentures, capped or crowned teeth 
• the last time you had something to eat or drink.

An anaesthetist will usually see you in the theatre department. He or she will explain and agree with you the most suitable type of anaesthetic. In very rare circumstances, it may prove necessary to change this plan (for example if unexpected events occur).

You may be given pre-medication (a tablet
or injection) before the operation to help you relax.You can request this if you are anxious.

When your surgeon and anaesthetist are ready to perform your operation, you will be escorted to the theatre area.

Many people choose to walk to theatre (wearing a dressing gown and slippers) but you may be taken on a trolley or a chair.A nurse will go with you.You can ask for a relative or friend to accompany you as far as the theatre reception area.

You can wear glasses or hearing aids and dentures until you are in the anaesthetic room. Jewellery and decorative piercing should be removed. If this is not possible then it will be covered with paper tape to protect it and your skin from damage. Contact lenses should be removed before going to theatre.

Theatre staff will check your identification and ask other medical details as a final check that you are having the operation you are scheduled for.You will then be taken into an anaesthetic room where
monitors will be attached to your chest/arm/finger to check your heart,
blood pressure and blood oxygen levels.

A plastic needle is usually inserted into a vein in your arm. If needles worry you please inform your anaesthetist as you can request a local anaesthetic cream to numb the skin.You may be given oxygen
to breathe from a mask as a routine safety measure. Drugs are then injected into a plastic needle, to start the anaesthetic. In some cases you may be given the choice to breathe an anaesthetic gas through the mask.Which ever method is used,you will soon lose consciousness.

Once you are unconscious a tube may be inserted into your wind pipe to help your breathing and make it safe (this tube will be removed before you wake up).You are then transferred (unconscious) into the operating theatre and the operation begins.The anaesthetist monitors your condition closely throughout the whole operation and adjusts the level of anaesthetic as needed to make sure you remain unconscious at all times.

After the operation you will be monitored in the recovery bay, where you will be looked after by qualified staff trained in post-operative care.

The procedure is similar to that of receiving General Anaesthetic except that you will not be put to sleep.

A local anaesthetic will be given to numb the operation area.You may also be given some sedative, to make you drowsy, if you wish. It is important to stay still while the injections are being performed. It is quite normal to experience a warm tingling feeling as the local anaesthetic begins to work.The anaesthetist will check that the area to be operated upon is numb before any surgery begins.

The anaesthetist will monitor your condition closely throughout the operation and you may speak to him/her whenever you wish.You may bring a tape or CD player with headphones to listen to help you relax while the operation is in progress.

You do not need to see the operation unless you would like to.

This will depend on a number of things including how severe the pain is, the site of the surgery and your medical condition. Some people need more pain relief than others.

Types of pain relief range from simple pain killers (such as paracetamol and Aspirin-like drugs), to stronger tablets (such as Codeine), to powerful Morphine-like drugs.

These are given in various ways, including by mouth, suppository (into your rectum) or injection (usually a plastic tube is put in your upper arm so that you do not need repeated needle injections, or directly into a vein).

The methods planned will be discussed and agreed with you.

The Cardiff Bay Clinic does not have overnight beds, so you will be discharged on the same day as your surgery is carried out.

If you have a general anaesthetic or sedation you must not attempt to drive or operate machinery for 24 hours after your operation. It is also essential that you are accompanied home by a responsible adult if your discharge is within 24 hours of your anaesthetic.

Every anaesthetic has small risks and these depend on many things such as the type of surgery and any medical conditions you may have. Modern anaesthesia is very safe, but risk cannot be removed completely.

Your own individual risk depends on your medical conditions, your personal factors (such as smoking and being overweight), and the operation being performed. Deaths caused by anaesthesia are very rare and are usually caused by a combination of complications happening together. There are about 5 deaths per
million anaesthetics per year in the UK.

Common temporary side-effects (1-100):
These include bruising or pain in the area where you are to be injected; dizziness, blurred vision and sickness. These can generally be treated and will usually pass quickly.

Uncommon/Rare complications (1 in 10,000):
These include temporary breathing difficulties, muscle pains, infections at injection sites, shivering after the operation, damage to lips, teeth and tongue, sore throat and temporary hoarseness and becoming conscious before the end of your operation.These complications may be uncomfortable but are rarely dangerous and the anaesthetist will ensure they are treated promptly.

Very rare and serious complications (1 in 100,000):
These include severe allergic reactions and death, brain damage, kidney and liver failure, lung damage, paralysis, permanent nerve or blood vessel damage, eye injury and damage to the voice box.

If you would like to receive more information about your operation or the Anaesthetic you are receiving please contact the Cardiff Bay Clinic on 029 2083 6714.