Before you go to sleep
If you haven’t already met your anaesthetist you will meet them either on the ward or in the anaesthetic bay on the day of your surgery. At this stage if you have any concerns or worries about your operation or anaesthetic please let them know.
Once in the anaesthetic bay you will have an IV cannula placed and often you will be given a sedative “relaxing medication” just before going into the operating theatre. You will not remember much after being given the sedative. Once inside the operating theatre you will have several monitors placed (to monitor your blood pressure, heart rate, level of awareness and breathing patterns). You will be given an oxygen mask and then receive another injection through the IV. This injection will be the anaesthetic medicine that induces unconsciousness. The next thing you will remember is waking up either in the recovery room or in the operating theatre.
The Operation
During the operation your anaesthetist will remain with you monitoring your safety, your level of anaesthesia and all your vital physiological functions.). Your anaesthetist will remain with you continuously until you reach the recovery room. In recovery your care will be continued by the recovery nurses. While you are in recovery if you have any discomfort or feel nauseated or dizzy then let the recovery staff know. They can administer pain killers or anti nausea drugs if they are required.
Your Stay in Hospital
Most people will go home on the day of surgery. We generally leave your intravenous drip in place with some fluid running until you have had something to eat and drink. Once you are feeling well you can get up and eat something. Before you are discharged home, you need to be eating, drinking and able to walk around without feeling dizzy or unwell. It is not unusual to have some degree of dizziness or nausea after ear surgery, however you must be steady on your feet prior to being discharged home.
For those patients who stay overnight in hospital your intravenous drip will remain in place to give you fluid and medications during that first night. Most patients generally have a pretty good stay in hospital and indeed generally have a good first 24 hours in terms of pain and discomfort.
Going HOme
Whether or not you have day surgery or remain in hospital overnight, you will need someone to pick you up from the hospital and take you home. We generally recommend our patients take paracetamol and ibuprofen for the first 2 or 3 days. If simple pain medication is taken consistently we often find our patients do not require any other pain relief. You will be given a prescription for some stronger pain killers such as codeine or oxycodone if appropriate.