Preparing for Surgery
To help you prepare for your upcoming operation, please read through all the information on this page in advance. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call us or write them down to ask when we call you to schedule your pre-admission testing appointment.
Patients are welcome to contact North Florida Anesthesia Consultants at any time.
Pre-Admission Testing (PAT)
Once your surgery is scheduled, you will receive a phone call to schedule an appointment for pre-admission testing. During this appointment, we will ask you about your past medical history, what medications you are taking, and any prior problems that you have had with anesthesia. Our goal is to become familiar with your operation and medical issues and address any concerns that could potentially delay or cancel your operation.
If you have any ongoing medical issues, we will sometimes contact your primary care doctor or specialist to make sure they are comfortable with you having surgery. We will also provide you with instructions for the day of your surgery and answer your questions and concerns. If you have had any recent tests or lab work performed, please let us know so we can include these records with your file.
Medications
Your previously prescribed medications should usually be taken before surgery, with a few sips of water. These medications include:
- Heart and blood pressure medications
- Inhaled medications such as bronchodilators
- Heartburn or reflux medications
- Seizure medications
- Steroids
- Immunosuppressants
- Thyroid replacement medications
We recommend avoiding the following medications on the day of your surgery
- Insulin
- Metformin
- Diuretics (water pills)
Please read the following information below if you are on blood thinners, pain medication, or Suboxone®.
Blood Thinners
If you are on blood thinners, these usually need to be stopped before surgery as they can cause uncontrollable bleeding. Many of our patients are on blood thinners for very serious conditions.
We recommend that you have a conversation with your prescribing physician and surgeon about the risks and benefits of stopping blood thinners before surgery. If necessary, one of our anesthesiologists will be happy to talk with your surgeon about managing these medications.
Pain Medications
If you are taking pain medication for a chronic pain condition, we recommend continuing your medications as prescribed through surgery except for aspirin, ibuprofen, and other NSAID medications.
Suboxone
If you are on Suboxone, please talk with your pain physician about how to manage this medication through surgery.
Can I Eat and Drink Before Surgery?
One of the most inconvenient parts of having an operation is not eating or drinking before your surgery. However, this is also one of the most effective ways to prevent pulmonary aspiration, a condition in which stomach secretions come up into the throat and drains into the lungs. Because the stomach is so acidic, these secretions can damage the lungs.
We usually recommend having nothing to eat or drink except for prescribed medications with a sip of water after 12 am (midnight) on the day of your surgery to minimize this risk.
What to Expect on the Day of Surgery
After you check in for your operation, you will meet a nurse who will verify your operation, medical history, medications, and any drug allergies. We will give you a gown to change into from your everyday clothes and then we will start an IV through which we can give you anesthesia and other medications during your surgery.
In the preoperative holding area, you will meet your anesthesiologist and the nurse anesthetist or anesthesia assistant who will be taking care of you. We will review the anesthesia plan with you and are happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have. If any procedures are needed before your operation, such as an epidural or nerve block, we will perform them at this time.
Comprehensive Anesthesia Services in Jacksonville, FL
North Florida Anesthesia Consultants, part of Envision Physician Services, is proud to offer high-quality medical care to residents of Jacksonville and the neighboring communities of north Florida. For more information regarding your upcoming surgery with us, contact us at (904) 387-4030.
