Anesthesia (Day of Procedure)

Procedure

All surgical procedures are done as an outpatient (same day procedure) under a twilight anesthesia (I.V. sedation). IV sedation requires nothing to eat or drink after midnight for all patients. Patients are also instructed to wash hair & face the night before and morning of surgery with the antibiotic soap supplied by our office.

The Ativan pill and 1 Celebrex should be taken with a sip of water 1 hour prior to arrival.

Patients are dropped off at our office surgery center by a family member or friend at a pre-arranged time (usually in the morning). Depending on the length of the procedure and the expected recovery time (30-60 minutes), arrangements are made for pick-up at a certain hour. Patients are awake and talking before they are released to go home. It is common for patients to have "no memory" of any conversations or trip home. Rest and eating something light is recommended after arriving home. Pain medication should be taken with food to avoid an upset stomach.

Recovery

Post-operative pain medications are prescribed to everyone, but are actually used by a minority of patients as most procedures have minimal discomfort. Anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics are prescribed to minimize the risk of infection and swelling. Any post-operative appointments for bandage or suture removal are either pre-arranged or scheduled the day of surgery. Our nurse will follow up with a call to each patient the afternoon of the procedure to answer any questions they may have. Patients are always encouraged to call the office if anything unusual occurs or if they have questions that can't wait until the next day.