Common questions
When do I stop eating and drinking?
Stop solid food about 8 hours before your surgery time (snacks, candy, and gum count too). Clear liquids - water, apple juice, black coffee - are usually fine up to 2 hours before. Milk, orange juice, and smoothies count as food. Follow the exact times your team gives you.
What counts as a "clear" liquid?
Anything you can see through: water, apple juice, black coffee or tea (no milk or cream). If it's cloudy or has pulp, it counts as food.
Do I take my regular medications that morning?
Take only what your team approved, with a small sip of water. Never start or stop a medication on your own - your team coordinates it.
I take a blood thinner (Eliquis, warfarin, Plavix).
These are often paused before surgery, but the exact timing is set by your physicians - especially if you have a stent. Never stop one on your own; ask your team.
I take Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro (a GLP-1).
These can slow stomach emptying and raise risk during anesthesia. Tell your team well before surgery - they'll tell you whether to hold it and for how long.
Do I really need someone to drive me home?
Yes. A responsible adult must drive you home and stay with you - you can't drive, take a taxi alone, or take the bus after anesthesia. Without a ride, your surgery usually has to be cancelled, so arrange it now.
What should I bring - and leave at home?
Bring a photo ID, insurance card, your medication list, and cases for glasses, hearing aids, or dentures (and your CPAP if you use one). Leave jewelry, cash, and valuables at home.
How much pain is normal afterward?
Some discomfort is expected. Take your pain medicine only as your team directs, never more than prescribed. If pain keeps getting worse or isn't controlled, call your team.
How do I care for my incision?
Keep it clean and dry and follow your team's instructions on showering and dressings. A little bruising or swelling is normal. Spreading redness, warmth, foul drainage, or a wound that opens means call.
When should I call, and when is it a 911 emergency?
Call your team for a fever, worsening pain, incision changes, bleeding through a dressing, or not keeping fluids down. Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, fainting, confusion, or calf swelling with shortness of breath.
What is anesthesia, exactly?
Medication that keeps you safe, comfortable, and pain-free during surgery. Depending on your procedure it can make you fully asleep, numb a region of your body, or numb a small area. It's much more than sleep - your anesthesia team monitors you continuously the entire time.
What types of anesthesia are there?
Three main types: general (fully asleep), regional (numbs a whole area while you stay awake or lightly sedated), and monitored anesthesia care - numbing plus light sedation. We choose what's safest for your surgery and your health, and sometimes combine them.
Could I wake up during surgery?
It's extremely rare - about 1 to 2 in 19,000 cases. We prevent it with more than enough medication, several medicines working together, continuous monitoring, and your anesthesiologist never leaving the room. Under proper anesthesia you won't hear, feel, or remember the surgery.
I'm anxious about anesthesia. Is that normal?
Completely normal - most patients feel it, and you're not alone. Tell your team. We can give you a mild medicine to help you relax, explain each step, and stay with you as you fall asleep. Slow breathing and bringing music or a support person help too.
How will my pain be managed afterward?
We aim for manageable pain - about a 3 or 4 out of 10 - using several medicines that work in different ways, so we can use lower doses with fewer side effects. Pain control starts during surgery. Use any opioid only as needed, and call your team if your plan isn't working.
What should I tell my anesthesiologist?
Everything: your medical conditions, past anesthesia experiences and any family reactions, all medications and supplements, allergies, and lifestyle (alcohol, smoking, CPAP) - and your fears. There's no such thing as too much information, and no judgment.
I'm scared the night before. Is that normal?
Completely normal - almost everyone feels it. Keep tonight simple: finish eating before your fasting time, lay out what you'll bring, confirm your ride, and try slow breathing (in for four, hold four, out four). You don't have to solve anything tonight - your team has tomorrow handled.
Is it normal to feel emotional or weepy after surgery?
Yes. Feeling groggy, foggy, sore, or unexpectedly emotional after anesthesia is normal - it's the medicine and adrenaline wearing off, not a setback, and it usually passes by the next day. Rest, fluids, and someone with you help. Call your team for a fever, bleeding that won't stop, worsening pain, or trouble breathing.