There is no such thing as too much information!
Things to Tell Your Anaesthesiologist Before Surgery to have a safe Anaesthesia Experience!

Normally people like to talk to their doctors. But when it comes to disclosing the correct information many a times you can miss communicating the facts that may be relevant to your anaesthetist ! Always remember there is no such thing as too much information. You may think smoking or snoring are irrelevant or embarrassing to disclose, but this together with correct medical and drug history including supplements, previous operations and other eventful moments in the hospitals should be told for an effective and safe anaesthesia and pain relief.

Be Honest And Mindful while telling about the following facts

1-Medications

Many medications can affect anaesthesia or pain management. One must never stop or altar any medicine without the knowledge of your Anaesthetist. All medicines have to be weighed for their pros and cons before major surgeries. Certain blood pressure or diabetes medicines should continue during the pre operative period. Some antidepressants or pain killers can interact with other drugs , hence they shud be mentioned. Viagra can seriously interact with Nitroglycerine (Cardiac Medicine) and can cause lethal fall of blood pressure. So it is vital that one shares their previous medical history.

2-Supplements

Like medications, certain supplements can interact with anaesthesia. Many people take ginkgo biloba to improve their memory or ginseng as an immune system booster, can increase the risk of bleeding. Be sure to tell your physician anaesthesiologist what supplements you take and the dosage.

3-Smoke

Smoking damages your heart and lungs and can lead to breathing problems during or after surgery. It also increases your risk of: developing pneumonia; needing a ventilator to help you breathe after surgery; suffering a heart attack during or after surgery; and reducing blood flow, which slows healing and increases the chance of infection. For these reasons, your physician anaesthesiologist may ask you to stop smoking at least a week or more before the procedure. (And since you will heal faster if you don’t smoke while you recover, consider taking this opportunity to quit smoking altogether.)

4-Drink alcohol

More than two alcoholic drinks a day can increase your risk of side effects from anaesthesia as well as affect the amount of anaesthesia you will need. Your physician anaesthesiologist needs to know if you drink and may request you abstain before surgery.

5-Snore

If your snoring is caused by sleep apnea, in which breathing is interrupted during sleep – anaesthesia is riskier because it can alter the way your anaesthetist will control your airway during anaesthesia, one of the most crucial steps in anaesthesia. Sleep apnea also can make it more difficult for you to regain consciousness after surgery. If you have sleep apnea, the physician anaesthesiologist may adjust the sedative, keep you in recovery longer and prescribe non-opioid pain medications.

6-Allergic Reactions

Have had a reaction to anaesthesia? It’s important to share if you’ve had a bad reaction to anaesthesia during previous procedures. Your physician anaesthesiologist will ask detailed questions about what happened to adjust your anaesthesia and prevent it from recurring.

7-Chronic health issues.

Many chronic health conditions can have serious repercussions in anaesthesia, including diabetes, heart disease, allergies, liver or kidney disease, asthma, high blood pressure, obesity and seizures or other neurological disorders. The process of Anaesthesia is now extremely safe, however it does involve administration of drugs which will effect heart lungs liver or kidneys. Minor adjustments can help avoiding even the smallest of dent on any of these organs. You should discuss these issues and any concerns you have when you talk to your physician anaesthesiologist before surgery.