The day of your surgery

You will get information about when to stop eating and drinking before your surgery. Follow the advice. It is to help keep you safe during your procedure.

Usually, you will be asked to stop eating at least 6 hours before your procedure. For example, eat nothing from 2am if you are asked to be at the hospital by 8am.

You can keep drinking clear fluids until 2 hours before you are expected at the hospital. Clear fluids include:

• water
• juices you can see through, like apple or blackcurrant juice (no non-clear or pulpy juices)
• black tea or coffee (no milk).

It is okay to have a sip of water to take medicines at any time before surgery.

If you usually take medicines for a health condition, the hospital staff will review these before you come into hospital. You may need to pause some regular medicines before your procedure. A nurse will let you know before coming to hospital which medicines to stop and when to stop them. You will also get a letter or email with this information on it.

Instructions for making changes to your medicines can be confusing. As a guide, if you are told to stop a medicine for 3 days before your surgery, this means stop for 3 full days and skip it on the morning of the operation. This means if your operation will be on a Friday, then you should:

• take the medicine as usual on Monday
• not take it on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (3 full days)
• not take it on the Friday.

If you are not told to stop any of your regular medicines, you should still take them before surgery. It is okay to have some water to take medicines during this time, even if you have been told to be ‘nil by mouth’.

You may need surgery while you are breastfeeding. There are ways that you can safely continue breastfeeding around the time of your surgery and there is information on which medicines are safe to take while breastfeeding.

For patients — Anaesthesia and sedation for breastfeeding parents

The letter with the date of your procedure on it also tells you which area of the hospital to come to.

Most people having an operation are asked to come to the day of surgery admission (DOSA) area. When you arrive at DOSA, let the reception staff know you are here. They will check your details with you.

An admissions nurse will see you next and support you to get ready for going to the operating theatre.

Your surgeon and anaesthetist will meet with you and confirm the plan for your operation and the type of anaesthetic. This is a good time to ask any questions.

Anaesthesia for your surgery

You may spend some time waiting in DOSA for your surgery. Bring something to help you pass the time. Usually, your support person can stay with you during this time. The staff will keep you updated about how long you can expect to wait.

You and your whānau are welcome to perform karakia before your surgery. You may also request access to the hospital chaplaincy service. Let the admissions nurse know what you would like when you arrive.

The anaesthetic department may have its own karakia, or you can recite your own.

Karakia poko — The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA)

Staff will be respectful of your taonga, pounamu and valuables. Often, you can wear taonga during your surgery.

If your surgery means you cannot wear your taonga, it may be possible to keep it next to your body during surgery. 

If you have taonga you would like to continue to wear, let your nurse know when you arrive.

Your procedure may involve removing some body tissue or a body part.

The tissue may be immediately available for you to collect as you leave hospital. If it needs to be tested in the hospital laboratory, it may not be available for about 6 to 8 weeks. Laboratory testing helps the medical team better understand your condition.

While your tissue is with the laboratory staff, it is treated with respect. You will get a letter telling you when your body tissue will be available and where you can collect it. The tissue can only be stored by us for a very limited time after laboratory testing is complete.

When it is your turn, you will be taken on your bed to the operating theatre. Support people are usually asked to leave DOSA at this point — they might choose to go home or wait in the DOSA reception, café or your hospital ward if you are staying overnight.

When you arrive in the operating theatre, the team will do a final safety check with you and then your planned anaesthetic will start.

Anaesthesia for your surgery

The team in the operating room includes surgeons, anaesthetic doctors, nurses, an anaesthetic technician and healthcare assistants. They work together to look after you.

When your surgery is finished, you will be taken to the recovery room or post-anaesthetic care unit (PACU). You will be looked after by a nurse who watches you closely as the anaesthetic wears off and you wake up. They will offer you pain relief and care to help you feel more comfortable. They will let your support person know how you are, if you have given consent for this to happen.

If you are planning to go home on the same day as the operation, you will go from the recovery room to DOSA again.

If you need to stay one or more nights in hospital, the recovery room nurse will arrange your transfer to the ward and to the next team of healthcare staff who will be looking after you.