Professional
Join Now

Anaesthesia FAQs

The information on this page is a general guide for anyone undergoing surgery or a procedure with sedation or anaesthesia. These questions are examples only. They are useful reminders that may also be included in other information your anaesthetist will talk to you about when you meet to discuss your operation.

Resource summary:
Choose Topic...

    Women with long hair holding up her hand beside a speech bubble with a question mark in it

    You can ask your anaesthetist any questions you or your whānau have relating to your anaesthetic and undergoing anaesthesia. You might find it helpful to write your questions down so you remember them all before you meet your anaesthetist.

    Anaesthesia is very safe. It allows a patient to be comfortable during their surgery. Anaesthetists are specialist doctors who are highly trained to deliver anaesthesia and help look after you before, during, and after your surgery.

    This information is meant as a general guide. It does not replace individual medical advice given by your healthcare providers. You should always ask your healthcare team If there is anything you’re unsure about.

    Please tell your anaesthetist about your medical history and any problems that might affect your operation. This will help the anaesthetist when planning for your surgery. Any health information you share is private to you and your anaesthetist.

    Preparing for your surgery or procedure

    Yes, there are four main types:

    • General anaesthetic: puts a patient into a state of unconsciousness throughout an operation
    • Local anaesthetic: causes numbness to only the site of surgery.
    • Regional anaesthetic: uses a local anaesthetic to block major nerve pathways to an area of the body where surgery is to take place
    • Monitored sedation: This is when certain medications are used to keep a patient comfortable and drowsy. It describes a range of approaches, from light through to deep sedation. The patient breathes for themselves and is usually alert enough to answer questions.

    The type of anaesthetic an anaesthetist will use depends on the patient and their surgical needs.

    You can read more about anaesthesia on our all about anaesthesia page here.

    When you’re under general anaesthesia, your body is in a deeply relaxed state, and you won’t have control over the muscles that normally keep food and liquids in your stomach. If your stomach contains anything, there’s a risk that it could come back up (regurgitate) and enter your lungs. This can cause serious complications, such as an infection or difficulty breathing.

    Not eating for a period of time before your general anaesthetic (fasting) ensures your stomach is empty, reduces the risk of these problems happening and helps your anaesthesia team provide safe and effective care for you.

    Always tell your anaesthetist about any vitamins, herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies or supplements you are taking. Some of these interact with medications and anaesthetics. If you’re unsure, do not take non-prescribed medications for two weeks before your operation, unless you have discussed them with your anaesthetist.

    Do not stop taking prescribed medications unless your doctor has advised you to.

    If you are unsure, ask a member of your healthcare team.

    Yes. Smoking is a major health hazard and can result in serious health issues. It can result in an increased risk of breathing problems whilst under anaesthesia. Ideally you should stop smoking 6 weeks before surgery.

    It’s important that you stop eating 6 hours before surgery. You can still drink clear fluids until much closer to the time – your hospital will give you advice on when you need to stop.

    These rules are to protect your lungs from any inhaled food or drink if your anaesthetist needs to give you a general anaesthetic. Even if you aren’t planning on having a general anaesthetic, it is important to follow these instructions in case the plan changes on the day.

    Chewing gum during this fasting period before planned surgery is ok, however it is important you spit it out before going into surgery.

    You should follow the advice of your anaesthetist or the hospital about food and drink before your surgery or procedure.

    You must tell your anaesthetist about any recreational drugs you take, including cannabis. These may result in some serious drug interactions which the anaesthetist needs to avoid, or you might require altered doses of anaesthesia to keep you safe.

    Drugs such as ‘P’ are a major risk and may result in life-threatening reactions. You should not take any recreational drugs for at least one week before surgery and must always inform your anaesthetist when they were last taken.

    No, bring your dentures with you. Generally, anaesthetists prefer that you leave your dentures in. If required, they will take them out and take good care of them.

    If you have a partial plate the anaesthetist may prefer it to be left in your locker or with someone for safekeeping before your operation. Please check with your anaesthetist.

    Not unless the procedure is under local anaesthetic. You may experience pain, nausea and small but reversible changes in memory and mental function after surgery or after anaesthesia. You should have someone with you. Try to arrange for an adult family, whānau member, or friend to stay with you. Otherwise, you are best to stay overnight in hospital.

    It’s important to talk to your child about their anaesthetic. Being prepared by a calm and trusted adult can help their whole journey through anaesthesia. We have a special resource for parents and caregivers of tamariki undergoing anaesthesia here.

    To make the safest plan for your surgery and anaesthetic your healthcare team may need to rule out an unknown pregnancy and ask you to perform a pregnancy test. You can read more about pregnancy and anaesthesia in the next question.

    Anaesthesia can be given at all stages of pregnancy if required in an emergency.

    For planned procedures, the timing of an operation in pregnancy will depend on many things, including the urgency of the procedure (and potential side effects of delay), stage of pregnancy, and anaesthetic considerations of the pregnant person. A team will usually be involved in making this decision with you, including surgeons, anaesthetists, and obstetricians.

    During the first trimester there is a small risk of the foetus developing defects (this is called teratogenicity), and later in pregnancy the risk becomes higher for the pregnant person. The second trimester is preferred for any surgery which cannot be deferred. If you do need to have an anaesthetic when you’re pregnant, and you’re beyond 24 weeks, then your baby will be monitored before and after, and sometimes during – depending on the length of the operation.

    Anaesthetists are highly trained specialist doctors, who are skilled at keeping you, and your baby safe if you do need a general anaesthetic when pregnant.

    That will depend on the procedure and the nature of your cold. Some symptoms may mean your surgery or procedure needs to be delayed, for example, if you have chest symptoms, like a wet cough or muscle aches and pains associated with your cold.

    Please let the hospital know if you have a cold. They might ask for more information about your symptoms to decide if your surgery or procedure should still go ahead.

    Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of thinking about, talking about and planning for future health care and end-of-life care. It is a way of recording what a person wants in relation to all current and future care, in an event where a person loses their capacity to make their own decisions.

    Before surgery, a member of your medical team may ask if you have an advance care plan. It could be used in the event of heart failure during surgery and enables the medical team and the family to feel safe in the knowledge that they are carrying out your wishes.

    Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality and Safety Commission offer helpful resources on advance care plans on their website here.

    Just because tests and treatments are available, doesn’t mean we should always use them. Tests, treatments, and procedures have side-effects, and some may even cause harm. Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality and Safety Commission’s website has some suggested questions to ask before agreeing to a medical intervention or test. You can read them on their website here. These questions relate to specific problems and concerns – and the questions to ask before agreeing to a medical intervention or test.

    During and after your surgery or procedure

    This is very unlikely.

    In low-risk surgery and anaesthesia, the risk of waking during the operation is around 1 in 40,000.
    Your anaesthetist stays with you the whole time during your procedure and will keep giving you anaesthetic drugs until your operation is finished.

    Everyone needs different amounts of these medications to make sure they are pain-free and fully anaesthetised. Your anaesthetist will be watching you and adjusting the anaesthetic medication to balance the risks to the type and length of operation. There are lots of ways your anaesthetist knows you are asleep, comfortable, and receiving enough medication. This includes monitoring your body’s response to pain by observing things such as your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as ensuring you’re receiving the correct amount of anaesthesia, by monitoring the anaesthetic medications being used.

    No. Anaesthesia is a medication-induced unconsciousness; it is not normal sleep. Under anaesthetic you will have no indication of time passing or awareness of any events.

    Your temperature may drop slightly during surgery. There are several reasons this might happen and for some people that can result in shivering when they wake up in the recovery room. It is not dangerous and should pass quickly. A nurse will be close by at all times and will help you to warm up as soon as possible.

    Most shivering after surgery is due to a drop in your core body temperature. This could be because parts of your body may have been exposed to a cooler environment during surgery. Anaesthetic medications can also contribute to your body’s natural ability to regulate your own temperature. Your healthcare team will try to keep you as warm as possible during surgery.

    Epidural and spinal anaesthetics open up blood vessels to the skin. This increases blood flow to the skin and increases heat loss. Shivering may also occur without a fall in core body temperature. It can be caused by anaesthetic medications and is more likely if you have pain following your operation. If you are worried talk to your doctor or nurse.

    You should contact the hospital first and they may tell you to come back or may be able to organise some medication for you. You may have been prescribed medications to go home with that can help.

    If your pain is very bad you might need to get an ambulance to hospital because it might be a complication from surgery. If you had your procedure privately you should call your surgeon for advice. Otherwise you can see your GP or visit urgent care.

    In the elderly confusion is not uncommon although it is not usually permanent. For the elderly a change in environment and the events associated with surgery can result in confusion. Ideally, the elderly should get back to their own homes where familiarity will help reduce any confusion.

    Most anaesthesia drugs have no long-term negative effects, and almost all of the anaesthesia has left your body within 24 hours.

    About 15-50% of older patients undergoing general anaesthesia can develop some degree of temporary post-operative delirium. This means they may notice small changes in their attention, level of consciousness and other ways they use their brain. This usually settles within 7 days. However, a smaller group (about 1% of older patients) may notice these changes last longer and develop what is known as postoperative cognitive decline (POCD). Anaesthesia, sleep deprivation, pain, anxiety, medications, inadequate nutrition, and surgical complications are all factors that might contribute to POCD.

    Unless there is a serious complication there is little chance of permanent brain injury. On rare occasions, serious complications can occur. Your anaesthetist will talk to you about the level of risk for you if you decide to have surgery.

    The diagram below shows some different ways cognitive decline might be described to you during the period after surgery.

     

    No. You should try to organise your surgery to be after any examination or other intellectual activity. There is some evidence of temporary changes in memory and mental function.

    The code and your rights

    When you use a health or disability service in New Zealand, you have the protection of a Code of Rights. The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights applies to all providers of health and disability services. The Code sets out 10 rights, including the right to be treated with respect, to be free from discrimination or exploitation, the right to dignity and independence, to services of an appropriate standard, to give informed consent, and to complain. Visit the Health & Disability Commissioner website for more on your rights.

    I want to make a complaint

    If you’re unhappy about a health or disability service you or someone else has received, you have the right to complain to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC). Before making a complaint, you may wish to talk to the person or organisation you’re unhappy with. This is often the quickest and easiest way to address your concerns. Visit the Health & Disability Commissioner’s website for more on your options and the complaints process.

    Billing and private insurance

    Different insurance policies have different levels of coverage. In general, only premium policies cover the entire cost of an operation. Usually, there is a small difference between the actual costs and those covered. You should discuss this with your anaesthetist and your insurance company before surgery.

    In many private hospitals, the hospital owns the anaesthesia machine and supplies the medications that the anaesthetist uses. An invoice for anaesthesia costs is to cover the machine and medication costs.

    The anaesthesia bill is usually a charge for the anaesthetist’s time and skill in the same manner as a surgeon’s bill. This will be based on time spent in the operating room, care before and after your operation and the risks associated with the procedure.

    This information is meant as a general guide only. It does not replace individual medical advice given by your healthcare providers. You should always ask your healthcare team If there is anything you’re unsure about. The NZSA does it utmost to keep this information up to date and content is subject to change. If you have any feedback or suggestions for future topics please get in touch.