This section on Frequently Asked Questions may answer some of the common queries a patient may have. It should not replace specific information provided by your Anaesthetist.
Please contact us if you have any questions about your anaesthesia.
Prior to surgery, your surgeon or proceduralist will let you know who your anaesthetist will be.
Your anaesthetist will usually require information about your medical and previous surgical history. This will occur either by way of a phone call, questionnaire or face-to-face consultation. Your anaesthetist may use this opportunity to discuss the type of anaesthesia you will receive as well as risks associated with anaesthesia. If you have had any difficulties with previous anaesthetics, please let us know. You will definitely meet your anaesthetist on the day of surgery.
Some medication MAY need to be ceased prior to surgery. If you take blood thinning medication or diabetic medication please let us know as early as possible. Most other medication can be continued up to and including the day of surgery.
Before an anaesthetic, patients must fast from food and drink to reduce risk of regurgitation (food, water and acid from stomach going up the gullet) and aspiration of this into the lungs. Fasting recommendation below must be complied by all patients. In certain circumstances, your anaesthetist may contact you directly with specific fasting instructions.
- Adults: Fast from solid food up to 6 hours before anaesthesia. Clear water, not more than 200ml per hour, up to 2 hours before anaesthesia. Please note that milk is considered solid food. Chewing gum and lollies should be avoided in the fasting period. Practically, when having a morning procedure, fasting should commence from midnight. If having a procedure in the afternoon, light breakfast before 7am with last 200ml of clear water at 10am.
- Children over 6 weeks old: Solid food and formula milk up to 6 hours before anaesthesia. Breast milk up to 4 hours before and clear water up to 2 hours before anaesthesia.
- Infant under 6 weeks old: Formula or breast milk up to 4 hours before and clear water up to 2 hours before anaesthesia.
Usual morning medications should be taken with a small amount of clear water. Medications like blood thinners and diabetic medication should not be taken on the day of surgery. Please contact Hollywood Anaesthesia if you have any queries.
Please arrive at hospital at your allocated time so that the admission process can be completed before scheduled surgery. The hospital will notify you when to arrive.
Fasting is important prior to surgery. This is for your safety. When we give anaesthetic agents, we risk any contents from your stomach coming up and going into your lungs – this can be life threatening.
Your anaesthetist will meet and discuss anaesthesia, pain relief and risks specific to you. Your anaesthetist will also answer any questions you may have.
After your surgery, you will be transferred to the recovery room, or occasionally to a high dependency unit or intensive care unit.
You will be provided with instructions on all relevant aspects of post-anaesthesia and surgical care. Please keep these instructions handy so that you can refer to them if required.
If required, suitable pain relief will be provided for an appropriate duration after discharge. It is important that you find out from either your surgeon or anaesthetist when to re-start any medications ceased for surgery.
Patients undergoing shoulder surgery may experience moderate to severe pain after the procedure. You may be offered continuous interscalene nerve block for pain relief during the post-operative period.
A small soft plastic tube will be placed, while you are under anaesthesia, to deliver local anaesthetic solution to numb the nerve supply to the shoulder. The supplied take-home pump is single use only and will continuously infuse a small amount of local anaesthetic. If this is not enough to control pain, pressing the bolus button on the pump will deliver an extra dose. The pump is programmed to limit the amount given so it cannot give more than the safe limit.
The catheter will have to be removed 3 days after the surgery. Leaving it longer may increase the risk of infection. Please download and read through these information handouts about using the pump and catheter removal.
Common queries:
- Pain at surgery site: use bolus function.
- Fluid under dressing: fluid may sometime collect under the dressing. If the catheter is providing pain relief, continue using it. A towel can be used to absorb any leaking fluid. If the catheter is not providing pain relief, remove the catheter as instructed and use oral pain killer
- Catheter fell out: remove catheter and dressing. Please start using oral pain killer.
Your anaesthetist will employ a variety of techniques to manage pain after your surgery. Some painkillers are given regularly and will form the basis of background pain control. Other painkillers are given only when it is required (also known as “PRN”). You will need to ask the nurses for these PRN painkillers for any breakthrough pain.
Depending on the surgery, you may have an epidural block, nerve block or patient controlled analgesia (PCA). Please see the analgesia section on “specific procedure” for detailed explanation.
Anaesthesia for children in Australia is very safe.
Most children are suitable to be anaesthetised in private hospitals. Some children who have complex medical conditions or who are having major operations or are very young need to be anaesthetised at the Perth Children’s Hospital.
Children are often nervous or anxious prior to surgery. Explanation of what is going to happen by both the parents and staff may help. There are also children’s books that discuss the experience of attending hospital for an operation. Anaesthetists may prescribe a medication prior to the operation that can help calm your child. Discuss the need for this with your anaesthetist.
The anaesthetist will ask you questions regarding your child’s medical history such as previous anaesthetic experiences and problems that may have occurred, any medical conditions, medications and allergies.
Generally children should fast from midnight for a morning operation with water only until 6am. For an operation in the afternoon, children can have food until 7am and water until 11am.
Children can be put to sleep prior to surgery with either a mask or a needle (called a cannula). The anaesthetist will discuss with you the choices of how to put your child asleep. With the mask, it is placed gently over your child’s mouth and nose and while breathing normally, the child will fall asleep over a minute or so. During this time your child may have noisy breathing, their eyes may roll back and they may move around on the bed – this is a normal part of falling off to sleep with anaesthesia.
With an induction using a needle, numbing cream is placed on the child’s arms and a needle (cannula) is inserted. Through this cannula, medications are given and your child will fall asleep rapidly.
Once your child is asleep the staff will take you out of the theatre room.
During the procedure your child is monitored and an anaesthetist is present throughout. Once your child is transferred to the recovery room and is awake, you can come and see them.
Sometimes children wake up unhappy or grumpy after anaesthesia, occasionally quite distressed (‘emergence delirium’). Sometimes the anaesthetist will give the child some medications to calm them down. Some other common complications of anaesthesia in children include pain, nausea, vomiting and sore throat.
Please feel free to ask your anaesthetist any questions or queries you may have.
The Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetist (ANZCA) produced an information handout “Anaesthesia and children” downloadable by clicking here.
Keep hydrated and breastfeed your baby as close as possible before your procedure. Please note fasting requirements in section above.
After an anaesthetic, it is safe to continue breastfeeding when you are fully awake and comfortable. There is no need to “express and discard” breastmilk after your surgery. Although commonly used sedative, pain killers or antibiotics may be found in your breast milk, it is present in very small amounts and it is safe to continue breastfeeding.
Please inform your anaesthetist if your baby is less than 3 months of age or born prematurely because you may need to monitor your baby if prolonged use of strong painkillers is required.
Certain medications may need to be avoided during breastfeeding. If these medications are required during your procedure and there are no alternatives available, its use will be specifically discussed by your surgeon and/or your anaesthetist.
For further information, the Australian Society of Anaesthetist (ASA) produced an information pamphlet “Breastfeeding and Anaesthesia” downloadable by clicking here
When can I have surgery after COVID infection?
After a covid infection, it is recommended that non-urgent elective major surgery should be delayed for a minimum of 7 weeks and non-urgent elective minor surgery for 4 weeks from the date of infection confirmed by RAT or PCR test and have recovered from any symptoms. Certain minor procedures for example endoscopy and colonoscopy, may proceed after 2-3 weeks delay.
In children, surgical risks after COVID infection are lower than in adults. Recommendation is to defer elective non-urgent surgery on a similar timeframe as other acute respiratory illness.
Emergency or urgent elective surgery should proceed with input from the surgeon, physicians and intensive care.
Please inform your surgeon/proceduralist and contact us if you had COVID within 8 weeks before your procedure.
When can I have COVID vaccination after surgery?
It is recommended to wait 2 weeks following major surgery for COVID vaccination, because it may be difficult to distinguish symptoms after vaccination from symptoms associated with surgery.
In those undergoing minor surgery who do not have up-to-date COVID vaccination status, unless you are not feeling well after surgery, it may be desirable to consider earlier vaccination.