Anaesthesia

INFORMATION

Certain procedures may require the presence of another Specialist doctor, an Anaesthesiologist, to induce a temporary loss of awareness so that the procedure can be done in a manner that is comfortable and safe for you.

Your Anaesthesiologist is a fully qualified Specialist doctor registered with the Singapore Medical Council.

Most of the procedures can be done in the Day Surgery Centre under Sedation with Monitored Care. You will be given intravenous medications to induce a loss of awareness during the procedure. Your Anaesthesiologist will stay with you throughout the procedure to monitor your vital signs to ensure your safety.

For procedures that cannot be safely done under Sedation with Monitored Care, a General Anaesthesia may be required. For safety reasons, this will be done in the Operating Room of a Hospital.

The medications used during Anaesthesia has the potential to cause nausea and/or vomiting. Thus, for safety reasons, all patients requiring any form of Anaesthesia needs to be fasted before surgery. Patients are advised to fast for at least 6 hours before surgery. For example, if the surgery is at 2pm, patients are advised to stop eating by 8am. However, patients are allowed to have sips of plain water up to 2 hours before surgery, to make the fasting process more bearable.

A prolonged period of impaired cognition may occur after Anaesthesia. Patients should not drive, drink alcohol, operate heavy or potentially harmful machinery or make legally binding decisions immediately after Anaesthesia. It is also advisable that a responsible adult accompany patients home.

Your Anaesthesiologist will have a more detailed discussion with you about the required Anaesthesia prior to your surgery.