"All About Anesthesiology" FAQs

Why can’t you eat before surgery?

The evening before your surgery, you may eat a normal dinner, but you cannot eat or drink anything (including drinking water and chewing gum) after midnight. This is essential in preventing vomiting during and after anesthesia. If you were to violate these guidelines, your surgery may be postponed or even cancelled.

What types of pain management options are available post-surgery?

Pain medicine is initiated post surgery. Your anesthesiologist can provide these medications to control the pain. This may take the form of pills, injections, or a "Pain Pump." A "Pain Pump" may be attached to the patient's intravenous or epidural. This technique is called "patient controlled analgesia" because the patient has a role in administering the medication. A patient's pain level must be manageable before medication is discharged.

What are some of the problems patients experience coming out of general anesthesia?

After general anesthesia, the most common complication is nausea and vomiting. This occurs more frequently in children, those who have experienced nausea with previous anesthetics, and those who are susceptible to motion sickness. Those with diabetes, obesity, and pregnancy are also more prone to getting sick. This problem can be prevented or treated if it occurs. Minor complications such as sore throat, headache, hoarseness, drowsiness, muscle aches, and fatigue are common for the first several days following surgery. Most patients do not experience these problems, but should these problems occur, your anesthesiologist can try to prevent a recurrence of the problem. At the end of the operation you may feel pain in the operated area. Anesthesiologists have developed their treatment so that it is possible to avoid severe pain in most circumstances, particularly after surgery.

Is acupuncture an alternative to anesthesia during surgery?

The clinical advantages of acupuncture anesthesia are:

• Safety compared to general anesthesia, particularly for the old and disabled.
  
• Postoperative recovery is faster.
  
• It is a less expensive, simpler form of anesthesia.
  
• The physiological functions of the body, such as the pulse rate and blood pressure, remain consistently stable during anesthesia.
  

The main disadvantage is that very occasionally the anesthetic does not work and an alternative form of anesthesia may be required fairly rapidly. Occasionally, intravenous narcotics may be given if the operation is prolonged or the procedure is painful.

More Anesthesia FAQs from Hospital for Special Surgery's Anesthesiologists

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posted 12/7/2005