Fully qualified specialist anaesthetists and anesthetic nurses at your convenience

Patients Q&A

Fully qualified specialist anaesthetists and anesthetic nurses, just like you would in a hospital.

Anaesthetists in Australia are highly trained medical specialists, having spent at least five years of specialist training, after the compulsory 2 years of internship and residency. In the 5 years of specialist training, anaesthetists undergo intensive training in anaesthesia, intensive care, pain management, resuscitation and the management of medical emergencies.

  • Once your procedure has been confirmed and booked, you will need to fill in a health questionnaire to the best of your ability. Get someone to help if you require.
  • Our Specialist or Nurse will contact you for phone assessment and may request further workup/ optimisation of your health if required.
    This is a very useful opportunity for you to ask any questions that you have about the anaesthetic.

After the GA, we will continue to monitor your vital signs for at least 20-30min to ensure you are safe, comfortable and free of nausea as much as possible. This is an important part of the recovery.

You will then be allowed to have some liqiud. If you are numb from the local anaesthetic in your mouth, eating should be delayed until the sensation returns.

You will not be allowed to leave alone, drive yourself home or go home in a limo or taxi unescorted! We have strict discharge criteria to achieve prior to safely discharging you to a responsible carer.

You will be given discharge information and contact details for emergencies or should there be any questions during your recovery at home. Should you want to be called the next day, please advice us prior to discharge.

Due to the effects of anaesthetic, we recommend for the next 24 hours that you avoid

  • Driving a vehicle
  • Utilizing public transport without assistance
  • Working machinery or engage in heavy work/ lifting
  • Consuming alcohol
  • Signing legal documents or making important decisions

Although some patients may have mild side effects such as nausea or a sore throat, general anaesthesia is exceptionally safe. The risk of complications correlates more closely to the specific type of procedure a patient is undergoing and his or her underlying health problems than to the actual anaesthesia itself. With office-based anaesthesia – for properly selected procedures, thoroughly screened patients, and with an experienced anaesthetist – the risk is indeed very low. With the advent of more sophisticated monitoring, a better understanding of individual responses to anaesthesia and surgery, and improved anaesthesia agents, the safety of anaesthesia has dramatically increased over the last two decades. The risk of mortality from anaesthesia is estimated to be 1:200,000 – 1:400,000 for healthy patients undergoing elective procedures. Indeed, the most risky part of the surgical day is potentially the car trip home.

Risk cannot be removed completely, but modern equipment, training and drugs have made it a much safer procedure in recent years

  • Feeling sick (~1 in 100)
  • Sore throat (~1 in 100)
  • Shivering (~1-10%)
  • Muscle aches (~1-10%)
  • Damage to teeth, lips and tongue (~1 in 4,500)
  • Breathing difficulty (~1 in 1,000)
  • Damage to the eye during general anaesthesia (~1 in 1,000)
  • Post-operative chest infection (~1 in 10,000)
  • Becoming confused after an operation (~1 in 10,000)
  • Accidental awareness during general anaesthesia (~1 in 10,000)
  • Serious allergy during an anaesthetic (anaphylaxis). (~1 in 100,000)
  • Nerve damage associated with having an operation under GA (~1 in 10,000)
  • Equipment failure (~1 in 100,000)
  • Blood clot in the legs (~1 in 10,000)
  • Death or brain damage (~1 in 100,000)

MDAS highly skilled staff with all the necessary emergency drugs, equipment and training to care for you in the event of a complication. Our setup follows all emergency guidelines set by the Australia and New College of Anaesthetists, and international bodies.

By having your procedure done in an out-of-hospital setting, you will most likely experience significant cost savings. 

All payments must be completed on the day of procedure. Receipt will be sent out or emailed to you for submission to Medicare for reimbursement.

Yes. We will assist you in getting reimbursement from Medicare. Receipt will be provided once payment has been completed. It will be sent via regular mail or email, whichever you prefer. You can take this receipt to claim from Medicare.

We accept all major credit cards or bank transfers.

No. Our fees include all necessary medications, disposable equipment and sterilization of multiple-use equipment.

ARE THERE ANY INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO MY ANAESTHETIC & PROCEDURE?

  • Don’t smoke – ideally, stop six weeks before surgery. If not, cease smoking at least 24 hours before your procedure
  • If you have a long-standing medical problem such as diabetes, asthma or bronchitis, thyroid problems, heart problems or high blood pressure, you should ask your GP if you need a check up.
  • If you are taking medicines, you will be specifically instructed what medications to take and not to take.
  • If you feel unwell when you are due to come in, please phone the practice for advice as soon as possible.
  • You MUST have a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you for the remainder of the day/night. You will not be allowed to leave alone, drive yourself home or go home in a limo or taxi unescorted

 

  • Fast from midnight if your procedure is in the morning
  • Fast from 6am if your procedure is in the afternoon

If there is food or liquid in your stomach during your anaesthetic, it could come up your throat and into the lungs causing lung damage.

WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY OF THE PROCEDURE?

Plan to arrive on time

Wear loose, comfortable clothing that is easy to remove and put on

Leave as many valuables as possible at home

If you wear contact lenses, please remove them at home or bring a lens case and your glasses with you.​

Your anaesthetist will meet you before your procedure and go through the anaesthetics and answer any questions you have

You will be escorted into the dental surgery where an IV will be placed and full monitoring applied.

You will be instructed to focus on your breathing with an oxygen mask as you drift into your anaesthesia state by IV injection.

The anaesthetist and anaesthetic nurse will be monitoring your vital signs the entire time during anaesthesia and immediate recovery time.

When the procedure concludes, the anaesthetic will be stopped and you will wake up quickly. The medication has a quick onset and offset enabling a rapid induction and waking time.

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