We have a range of options available to help you relax and to increase your comfort during your procedure. Your surgeon will discuss the anaesthesia options with you and with your input, together we will decide the most appropriate option for your surgery.
Because your judgement may be impaired, you should not drive a motor vehicle, ride a cycle, make important personal, professional or business decisions for the remainder of the day following the surgery. Do not drink alcohol on the day of surgery.
Intravenous sedation is a wonderful technique to help you feel relaxed during your surgery. You will not be completely asleep but will feel very drowsy, at ease and often will not remember much of the events of your surgery. Intravenous sedation is given through a small plastic needle in the back of your hand or forearm. A small plastic clip, called a pulse oximeter, will be placed on your finger to measure the level of oxygen in your blood, and a blood pressure cuff placed on your upper arm.
Local anaesthesia with intravenous sedation is performed in our rooms utilizing state of the art techniques and monitoring equipment. After you are sedated and completely relaxed, local anaesthetic is used to numb the mouth as required so that the procedure is painless. In most cases patients cannot remember any of the surgery that has been performed. This technique has the advantage of being very cost effective compared with general anaesthesia.
You are asked not to eat for 6 hours and clear fluids only up to 2 hours before surgery.
The sedative used is usually a valium type drug. It is given slowly so that the effect can be accurately assessed. After the intravenous sedation you will have local anaesthetic injections in your mouth to numb the area of surgery.
At the end of surgery, the plastic needle will be removed from your arm and you will be taken to relax in a chair, while recovering in a separate area for approximately 15 or 20 minutes. When you are sufficiently recovered from the effects of the sedation you will be allowed to go home where you should relax for the remainder of the day. Patients need to be accompanied by an adult. The escort must drive you home or take you home in a taxi.
The receptionist will check the phone number and details of how to contact your escort when you arrive.
General anaesthesia is performed in a day-stay hospital and involves you being completely asleep throughout the entire procedure. This is usually for patients who are very anxious, or if your surgeon recommends it due to the complexity of your treatment.