FAQ

The questions below are designed to provide answers to common questions as a service to you. These answers should not substitute medical advice. Please consult with your physician regarding your specific health condition.

Anesthesia for Ambulatory Surgery

Ambulatory anesthesia and surgical care has been proven to be safe and can be performed in a variety of facilities. You may have your procedure performed in a freestanding surgery center or, in some cases, in a surgeon's office.

What is ambulatory anesthesia?
How will I meet my anesthesiologist?
What types of anesthesia are available?

Before Surgery

Most commonly, you will meet the anesthesiologist who will care for you on the day of your surgery before you go into the operating room. Your anesthesiologist will review your medical and anesthesia history and the results of any laboratory tests and answer any further questions you may have. Nurses will record your vital signs and your anesthesiologist and surgeon will complete any evaluations and laboratory tests. Intravenous fluids will be started and preoperative medications given if needed. Once in the operating room, monitoring devices will be attached such as a blood pressure cuff, EKG and other devices for your safety. At this point, you will be ready for anesthesia.

What about eating or drinking before my anesthesia?
Will I need someone to take me home?
Should I take my usual medicines?
What should I wear?

During Surgery

Your anesthesiologist is responsible for your comfort and well-being during your procedure. Your anesthesiologist leads the care team in monitoring and managing your vital body functions during your surgery. Your anesthesiologist is also responsible for managing medical problems that might arise related to surgery as well as any chronic medical conditions you may have, such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart problems. A member of your anesthesia team will be with you throughout your procedure.

After Surgery

What can I expect after the operation until I go home?
Will I have any side effects?
When will I be able to go home?
What instructions will I receive?

What is ambulatory anesthesia?

Ambulatory anesthesia is tailored to meet the needs of ambulatory surgery, with the goal of getting you home soon after your operation. Short-acting anesthetic drugs and specialized anesthetic techniques are used in ambulatory settings. In general, if you are in reasonably good health, you are a candidate for ambulatory anesthesia and surgery. Because each patient is unique, your anesthesiologist will carefully evaluate you and your health status to determine if you should undergo ambulatory anesthesia. After your early recovery from anesthesia, you usually will return home. Patients do well with the assistance of their family or friends. If you do not have family members to help at home, you may require additional assistance.

How will I meet my anesthesiologist?

Your anesthesiologist or an associate will interview you before your anesthesia to gather the information needed to evaluate your general health. This interview may be a telephone call, a visit to the facility, or a visit in the office. Laboratory tests may be ordered and medical, surgical and anesthetic records will be reviewed. You may be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your previous anesthetic experiences and medical conditions, medications you are taking, and allergies you may have. If you have particular concerns, you should discuss them with the anesthesiologist or pre-admission nurse.

What types of anesthesia are available?

Decisions regarding your anesthesia are tailored specifically for you. The type of anesthesia you receive depends on your general health and the type of surgical procedure as well as your preferences, when possible. Based on the information your anesthesiologist has gathered from your records and pre-anesthesia visit, potential choices for your anesthetic care will be evaluated.

There are four main types of anesthesia from which to choose:

General anesthesia provides loss of consciousness and loss of sensation.
Regional anesthesia involves the injection of a local anesthetic to provide numbness, loss of pain or loss of sensation to a large region of the body. Regional anesthetic techniques include spinal blocks, epidural blocks and arm and leg blocks. Medications can be given that will make you comfortable, drowsy and blur your memory.
Monitored anesthesia care consists of medications to make you drowsy and to relieve pain. These medications supplement local anesthetic injections, which are often given by your surgeon. While you are sedated, your anesthesiologist will monitor your vital body functions.
Local anesthesia provides numbness to a small area and is often injected by your surgeon. In this case, there may be no anesthesia team member with you. Occasionally, it is not possible to keep you comfortable with regional, monitored or local anesthesia and general anesthesia may be needed. Although uncommon, complications or side effects can occur with each anesthetic option even though you are monitored carefully and your anesthesiologist takes special precautions to avoid them.

What about eating or drinking before my anesthesia?

As a general rule, you should not eat or drink anything after midnight before your surgery. Under some circumstances, you may be given permission by your anesthesiologist to drink clear liquids up to a few hours before your anesthesia. If you smoke, please refrain.

Will I need someone to take me home?

Yes, you must make arrangements for a responsible adult to take you home after your anesthetic or sedation. You will not be allowed to leave alone or drive yourself home. It is strongly suggested you have someone stay with you during the first 24 hours. If you have local anesthesia only, with no sedation, it may be possible to go home without someone accompanying you. Check with your doctor first.

These instructions are important for your safety. If you do not follow your physician's instructions about not eating and having an adult take you home, your surgery may be rescheduled.

Should I take my usual medicines?

Some medications should be taken and others should not. It is important to discuss this with your anesthesiologist. Do not interrupt medications without your anesthesiologist’s recommendation.

What should I wear?

Wear loose-fitting clothes that are easy to put on and will fit over bulky bandages or surgical dressings. Leave your jewelry and valuables at home.

What can I expect after the operation until I go home?

After surgery, you will be taken to the post anesthesia care unit, often called the recovery room. Your anesthesiologist will direct the monitoring and medications needed for your safe recovery. For the first 30 minutes, you will be watched closely by specially trained nurses. During this period, you may be given extra oxygen and your breathing and heart functions will be observed closely. Once your vital functions have stabilized, you will be offered something to drink and you will be assisted in getting up.

Will I have any side effects?

The amount of discomfort you experience will depend on a number of factors, especially your type of surgery. Your doctors and nurses can relieve pain after your surgery with medicines by mouth or injection or by numbing the area around the incision. Your discomfort should be tolerable but not totally pain-free. Nausea or vomiting may be related to anesthesia, the type of surgical procedure or postoperative pain medications. Medications to minimize postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting are often given by your anesthesiologist during the surgical procedure and in recovery.

When will I be able to go home?

Most patients are ready to go home one to four hours after surgery. Your anesthesiologist will be able to give you a more specific time estimate. Occasionally, it is necessary to stay overnight. Hernando Endoscopy and Surgery offers overnight accommodations with Tampa General Hospital Brooksville when medically necessary.

What instructions will I receive?

Both written and verbal instructions will be given post-procedure.

In general, for 24 hours after your anesthesia:

do not drink alcohol or use nonprescription medications
do not drive a car or operate dangerous machinery
do not make important decisions

Hernando Endoscopy and Surgery Center closes at 5 p.m. In case of an emergency after hours, please call 911 for assistance.