This will depend on the procedure. Most surgery will involve a general anaesthetic.

The following surgeries often involve sedation only:

- Eye surgery (light sedation)

- Gastroscopy/Colonoscopy (deep sedation)

- Some hand surgery

The following surgeries may also involve a "nerve block":

- Shoulder surgery

- Ankle surgery

Anaesthesia is very safe, however, it is important to undertand the risks involved. Please view the document above to learn about the risks that are relevant to you. 

Your pain will be managed using a combination of tablets. You may also have local anaesthetic (numbing solution) injected during the surgery, which can provide several hours of pain relief. 

You may be provided with strong pain relief to take home. You will be given instructions on how and when to take these. It is important to continue taking paracetamol, and often an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen in the days after your surgery. 

Some patients should not take anti-inflammatories, so always read the patient information prior to taking these. 

Most patients will be awake and alert within a few hours of their procedure. In rare cases, drowsiness can persist for longer. 

You will be unable to drive or operate heavy machinery until the following day. Some surgeries will preclude you from driving for longer than this, so always clarify this with your surgeon. 

You will need to be fasted from solid food (including milk) for 6 hours. If your procedure is in the morning, don't eat food after midnight. If you are an afternoon case, you may have breakfast before 7am. 

Continue drinking clear fluids until you arrive at the hospital. This includes black tea or coffee, water, sports drinks and clear juice. 

Awareness during surgery is exceptionally rare. I will take steps to avoid this from happening. The risk of awareness during surgery is less than 1 in 8000 cases. 

If you would like more information on this, please ask me on the day of surgery. 

Most medications are safe to continue, even on the day of surgery. The following drugs may need to be ceased:

1. Blood thinners (aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, ticagrelor, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban). Your surgeon will provide information about this.

2. Diabetes medications (such as insulin, metformin, any drug ending in "flozin"). You will be given instructions about this be your surgeon or your anaesthetist. Please ask if you need instructions. 

3. Naltrexone, Contrave or any drug containing naltrexone needs to be stopped at least 3 days prior to surgery. Your surgery may be postponed if you are still taking naltrexone on the day of surgery. 

I am happy for you to continue any pain or anxiety medications, even on the morning of surgery. It is important that you turn up to hospital as relaxed and comfortable as possible. 

This is a common situation. It is usually safe to proceed if you're at the tail end of the common cold. 

Reasons to delay surgery are:

1. You have new chest symptoms (wheeze, cough, shortness of breath), fevers or would not be well enough to present to work. 

2. You also smoke, vape or have other lung disease such as asthma or COPD. 

3. You have an infection that has not yet responded to medical therapy. 

4. You may have a contagious condition that places healthcare workers at risk such as gastroenteritis. 

If you were recently unwell and still have mild symptoms, it is best to present to hospital on the day of surgery to be assesed by your anaesthetist. 

You do not need to stop this medication, however, it is essential to inform your anaesthetist that you are taking it. 

This is common for procedures such as eye surgery, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, minor surgery and surgery performed through major vessels (angiography). 

Sedation is often chosen for these surgeries because it is safer and may provide better operating conditions for the surgeon. There are several ways to provide anaesthesia for these procedures:

• Eye surgery (light sedation)

Your eye will be kept numb with eye drops, and I will provide medication via the vein that makes you  feel calm and relaxed. You will usually be awake enough to follow instructions. Most patients find light sedation very pleasant. 

• Gastroscopy/Colonoscopy (deep sedation)

You will be kept deeply sedated, similar to a general anaesthetic. You may remember feeling some tummy distension or hearing voices, sometimes even seeing the staff in the room. Rest assured that you will never be in a situation where you are awake but cannot move. The recovery from this type of anaesthetic is usually smooth and quick. 

• Minor surgery (such as carpal tunnel release)

In some surgeries the only painful part is the injection of local anaesthetic at the start of the procedure. In this case, you will be briefly unconscious during the local anaesthetic injection, and then awake but calm with your anaesthetist next to you throughout the procedure. If you're awake, you will always be able to communicate with us. If you feel pain, let us know and we can take steps to treat it. 

In Australia, private patients often receive an out-of-pocket expense for their anaesthetic because the total fee for anaesthetic services can be higher than what is covered by Medicare and private health insurance. While Medicare and insurance will cover part of the cost, they don’t always cover the full amount. Anaesthetists, like other medical specialists, set their fees based on the complexity of the procedure, their level of expertise, and the time involved. 

The gap between what Medicare and your insurance pay and the anaesthetist’s fee is called the "gap payment," and that’s where the out-of-pocket cost comes in. The Medicare and health fund rebates have lagged well behind inflation for the last 15 years, which is why most episodes of care will involved a gap payment. 

You will receive information about any expected gap payments before your procedure. If you have any questions about your financial consent, please contact our staff via the instructions on your quote or invoice.

Modern anaesthesia is generally safe for breastfeeding. Most anaesthetic drugs wear off very quickly and only tiny amounts enter the breast milk. There is no evidence to support pumping and discarding.

If you require strong pain relief after your surgery, this is also generally safe for a short period.

Be sure to let your anaesthetist know that you are breastfeeding. There will be time to answer questions around this on the day.