When you’re scheduling a procedure at Dr. Krakora’s office, you might get overwhelmed by the long list of “dos and don’ts” we give you in preparation for IV sedation. You can’t eat, drink, or smoke for designated times before your surgery, and you can’t even wear jewelry or nail polish on the day of the procedure. But it’s not because we’re mean—it’s because we have to make sure that the anesthesia works properly and that you stay safe. Watch this video to see our patient guidelines for intravenous anesthesia sedation, and then read below to learn why each rule exists.
What is IV Anesthesia Sedation?
IV anesthesia sedation is a mixture of medications administered to you via an Intravenous (IV) bag. Though you won’t fully fall asleep during a procedure with IV anesthesia sedation, you will enter a sort of twilight sleep state, and will likely “wake up” when it’s over with little or no memory of the surgery. IV anesthesia sedation makes you drowsy, slows your breathing and your reflexes, and may cause your blood pressure to drop. Our attentive team will ensure that you are perfectly safe and comfortable during your sedation experience, but to help us out we ask that you follow these guidelines.The Seven Commandments of IV Anesthesia Sedation
1. You can’t eat or drink anything for 6 hours before your surgery.
We usually say that you cannot eat or drink anything from midnight the night before your procedure. This is because the sedation, by design, will stop your body’s reflexes. If you become nauseous during the procedure and your stomach is not empty, this may cause you to vomit or regurgitate without the ability to cough it all the way up. The contents of your stomach could then leak into your lungs, potentially causing problems with your breathing. The only exception is if we asked you to take a specific medication before your surgery—then we will allow you to drink a small amount of water, but only enough to get the pill down.2. You can’t smoke for 12 hours before your surgery.
We ask that you don’t smoke for the 12 hours preceding your surgery with IV sedation. In fact, the sooner you can cut down on smoking before your procedure, the better. If you smoke before your surgery—and if you have a smoking habit in general—it becomes more difficult to keep you breathing properly while you are under sedation. Smoking also increases your risk of heart problems during and after your surgery, and it makes your healing process take far longer than it would for a nonsmoker, which is why we also ask that you continue to abstain from smoking after your procedure while you are healing.