Information for Patients
We are here to help. The day of your appointment you will be able to ask any questions you may have. Please let your anaesthetist know if you have any doubts. Read below to know more about anaesthesia.
Information
Click a link below to learn more:
- Anaesthesia & You
- Anaesthesia for Children
- Anaesthesia for Oral Surgery
- Anaesthesia for Eye Surgery
- Anaesthesia for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Anaesthesia for Major Joint Replacement Surgery
- Anaesthesia and Bariatric Surgery
- Epidural Anaesthesia During Childbirth
- Epidural and Spinal Anaesthesia and Analgesia
- Breastfeeding after Anaesthesia
- Preparing for your anaesthesia
What is an anaesthetist?
Anaesthetists administer anaesthesia that block the sensation of pain for patients undergoing surgery and related procedures. They safely render patients unconscious so that surgeons may perform operations without the patient being aware of, or feeling, any pain.
Types of anaesthesia
General Anaesthesia
You are put into a state of unconsciousness for the duration of the operation. This is usually achieved by injecting drugs through a cannula placed in a vein and maintained with intravenous drugs or a mixture of gases which you will breathe. While you remain unaware of what is happening around you, the anaesthetist monitors your condition closely and constantly adjusts the level of anaesthesia. You will often be asked to breathe oxygen through a mask just before your anaesthesia starts.
Regional Anaesthesia
A nerve block numbs the part of the body where the surgeon operates and this avoids the need for general anaesthesia. You may be awake or sedated (see below).Examples of regional anaesthesia include epidurals for labour, spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section and ‘eye blocks’ for cataracts.
Sedation
The anaesthetist administers drugs to make you relaxed and drowsy. This is sometimes called ‘twilight sleep’ or ‘intravenous sedation’ and may be used for some eye surgery, some plastic surgery and for some gastroenterological procedures. Recall of events is possible with ‘sedation’. Most patients prefer to have little or no recall of events. Please discuss your preference with your anaesthetist.
Local Anaesthesia
A local anaesthetic drug is injected at the site of the surgery to cause numbness. You will be awake but feel no pain. An obvious example of local anaesthesia is numbing an area of skin before having a cut stitched.
Preoperative Information
Fasting
You must fast from all food, lollies and gum for a minimum of 6 hours prior to the start of your operating list.
If you like, you can brush your teeth or wash your mouth out with water or mouthwash, but make sure you don’t swallow anything.
Liquids: You can drink small amounts of clears including water, clear apple, black coffee or tea (No Milk) until 2 hours to surgery.
Medication
Most medications can be consumed with water on the morning of surgery however there are some exceptions and you may need to seek advice:
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Blood thinners (e.g. Aspirin, Plavix, Warfarin) and NOAC’s (e.g. Apixaban (Eliquis),
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Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
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Rivaroxaban (Xarelto):
Check with your surgeon regarding perioperative management of blood thinners.
If there are any medications you are unsure about please contact your anaesthetist to discuss.
Inform your surgeon or anaesthetist prior to admission if you are unwell with cough, fever or flu-like symptoms prior to surgery.
Fees & Quotes
1. The fee which you will be charged for your anaesthetic service is based on the complexity of the anaesthetic procedure and the time taken in the care of the patient. The fee is in line with the recommendation of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) and the Australian Medical Association (AMA).
2. We will email you the anaesthetic costs or quote you as soon as we are notified of your procedure from your surgeon’s room, you can pay via our website by BPay or credit card.
3. If uninsured a full fee will be partially funded by Medicare (if not cosmetic), if covered by private a health fund there may be a “gap” that will be charged to you prior to surgery.
4. A gap exists because Medicare and health fund rebates over time have not risen in line with the costs of providing anaesthesia services.
5. If you do not have appropriate health insurance cover, are within your waiting period for cover or your cover has lapsed, you will be responsible for the total anaesthetic fee.