Sedation and
Anaesthesia Information

Adult Sedation and Anaesthesia Information

THE WEEK of Your Appointment:

• You must plan to be accompanied by a responsible adult and go home by car. You cannot drive for 24 hours.

• If you have a cold, persistent cough, nausea or vomiting, fever or are recovering from a recent illness, contact the office at least three (3) business days before your appointment.

• If you take daily medications prescribed by your doctor, consult us first before taking them leading up to your appointment.

• Have clear fluids and soft foods, Tylenol and Gravol at home for after your anaesthetic appointment.

THE DAY of Your Sedation and Anaesthesia Appointment:

• You must have an empty stomach for the eight (8) HOURS prior to surgery). This includes abstaining from juice, milk, gum and candies.

• In general it is safe to have nothing to eat or drink from midnight before their appointment.

  • Small amounts of WATER or APPLE JUICE are permitted up until three (3) hours before an anaesthetic appointment.

• Food in the stomach may result in vomiting and subsequent lung infections during the anaesthetic. This is a very serious emergency and can be fatal.

  • If you do not follow these instructions, treatment will be cancelled and you will be charged the $500 cancellation fee

• Confirm the person who will be taking you home after your surgery.

• Take your daily medications as usual with a small sip of water, unless instructed otherwise.

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing- short sleeved top, socks, flat shoes (not tights or leotards).

• Do not wear nail polish or contact lenses.

• Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time, leave valuables at home and do not smoke prior to your appointment.

• If the patient does not speak English well they must be accompanied by a translator. Further, the individual who has power of attorney must be present or available by phone.

  • If the above two rules are not abided the $500 cancellation fee will apply.

• REMINDER: The province of Ontario now requires patients to show ID (such as a Health Card) in order to get prescription pain medication. This same ID is necessary to pick up your prescription from the pharmacy.

DURING your Appointment:

• Monitoring devices will be used to track your vital signs throughout the entire sedation and anaesthesia appointment.

• These include: blood pressure cuff wrapped around your arm, a small sensor on your finger, EKG stickers on chest, and a device to monitor your breathing and/or anaesthetic gases.

• A small intravenous catheter will be placed in your hand, foot, or arm to deliver the IV medications and fluids.

• Most patients wake up with some confusion and disorientation. It usually takes about 10-15 min to fully ‘wake up.’

• You must be alert enough to leave the office safely with the adult taking you home. We follow guidelines to ensure you’re fit to leave the office. Usually, this takes 20-30 minutes.

AFTER your Appointment:

• A responsible adult must drive you home in a car or taxi (no public transportation) and stay with you until the next day as the sedation and anaesthesia medications given to you will make you feel drowsy and your responses will be slow.

• You must rest quietly for the remainder of the day and up to 24 hours following your visit.

• You must not: drive, operate machinery, consume alcohol or smoke for 24 hours.

• You may not remember activities immediately after the procedure, and this is normal.

• Do not sign any important documents or post on social media, for 24 hours as your judgement may be somewhat impaired.

• Sometimes the IV site can become irritated. If your arm is sore, apply a warm, moist compress. If the site becomes red or painful please contact us. Bruising is not uncommon, and this will resolve within a few days.

• It is important to start eating and drinking after receiving any level of sedation and anaesthesia. Start with sips of clear fluids, and resume a soft diet shortly thereafter. Examples of soft foods include: soup, pudding, pasta, rice, pancakes, scrambled eggs and smoothies. Avoid eating heavy, fried, and fatty foods. Resume a regular diet as tolerated.

• It is important to eat healthy and nutritious foods, and to drink fluids to prevent dehydration.

• Please call our office if you experience frequent vomiting.

• Further instructions will be given following the appointment.

Sedation and Anaesthesia Information for Children

THE WEEK of your Child’s Sedation and Anaesthesia Appointment:

• Children must be accompanied by a responsible parent/guardian and must go home by car.

  • It is preferred to have two (2) adults. One to drive the car and one to sit with the child.

• Other siblings should not accompany the patient to the anaesthetic appointment.

• If your child has a cold, persistent cough, nausea or vomiting, fever or is recovering from a recent illness, contact the office at least three (3) business days before your appointment.

• If your child takes daily medications prescribed by their doctor, consult us first prior to taking it the day of the appointment.

• Have clear fluids and soft foods, Tylenol and Gravol suppositories at home for after the anaesthetic appointment.

THE DAY of your Child’s Appointment:

• Your child must have an empty stomach from midnight the night before your appointment (or the 8 hours prior to surgery). This includes abstaining from juice, milk, gum and candies.

  • Your child can drink small amounts of WATER or APPLE JUICE ONLY up to three (3) HOURS BEFORE surgery.

• Food in the stomach may result in vomiting and subsequent lung infections during the anesthetic. This is a very serious emergency and can be fatal.

  • If you do not follow these instructions, treatment will be cancelled and you will be charged the $500 cancellation fee.

• If your child was prescribed medication to be taken before the appointment, please read the directions carefully and contact us with any questions you may have.

• Your child should wear loose, comfortable clothing- short sleeved top, socks, flat shoes (not tights or leotards). Bring a spare set of clothing as it may be necessary.

• Children should not wear nail polish or contact lenses.

• Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time and leave valuables at home.

• If the patient does not speak english well they must be accompanied by a translator. Further, the individual who has power of attorney must be present or available by phone. **If these are not abided by, a $500 cancellation fee will apply.

• REMINDER: The province of Ontario now requires patients to show ID (such as a Health Card) in order to get prescription pain medication. This same ID is necessary to pick up your prescription from the pharmacy.

DURING your Child’s Appointment:

• Monitoring devices will be used to track your child’s vital signs throughout their entire appointment.

• These include: blood pressure cuff wrapped around their arm, a small sensor on their finger, EKG stickers on their chest, and a device to monitor their breathing and/or anesthetic gases.

• A small intravenous catheter will be placed into their hand, foot, or arm to deliver the IV medications and fluids.

• Most children wake up with some confusion and disorientation. It usually takes about 10-15 min to fully ‘wake up’.

• Your child must be alert enough to leave the office safely. We follow guidelines to ensure your child is fit to leave the office. Usually, this takes 20-30 min

AFTER your Child’s Appointment:

• A responsible adult must drive them home in a car or taxi (no public transportation).

• Children must not return to daycare or school and must be supervised by an adult, for the remainder of the day (following 24 hours) as the medications given will make them feel drowsy and their responses will be slow.

• Your child must rest quietly for the remainder of the day and up to 24 hours following your visit.

• Your child must not: drive, operate machinery, consume alcohol or smoke for 24 hours.

• Your child may not remember activities immediately after the procedure, and this is normal

• Ensure they do not sign any important documents or post on social media, for 24 hours as their judgement may be somewhat impaired.

• Sometimes the IV site can become irritated. If your child’s arm is sore, apply a warm, moist compress. If the site becomes red or painful please contact us. Bruising is not uncommon, and this will resolve within a few days.

• It is important they start eating and drinking after anesthesia. Start with sips of clear fluids, no straws, and resume a soft diet shortly thereafter. Examples of soft foods include: soup, pudding, pasta, rice, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and smoothies. Avoid eating heavy, fried, and fatty foods. Resume a regular diet as tolerated

• It is important to eat healthy and nutritious foods, and to drink fluids to prevent dehydration.

• If your child experiences frequent vomiting, please call us.

• Further instructions will be given following the appointment.