Are there any special instructions to follow before an anesthesia appointment?
It is very important that the oral intake (solid food and liquids) restrictions be understood and followed.
Patients cannot eat any solid foods after midnight the night before the anesthesia/surgery. NO
BREAKFAST on the day of surgery! For adults, clear liquids may be taken up to 3 hours before the dental
appointment and for children (up to age 12 years old), clear liquids may be taken up to 2 hours before the
appointment. Clear liquids include: water, apple juice, tea or coffee with no milk or sugar. If the patient is
taking any medication on a regular basis either the anesthesia care provider or the dental surgeon should
approve it. Medications may be taken at any time before surgery with only small sips of water. These
restrictions are to protect the patient from inhaling food and/or gastric contents during surgery. If this
occurs the risk of pneumonia is very high and could be life threatening. If the restrictions are not followed,
it WILL require postponing the surgery.
All patients should have a responsible adult(s) stay in the office during the surgery. This allows the doctors
to discuss any unexpected changes in the surgery planned. It is important that a competent home
caregiver (responsible adult) be with the patient throughout the day of surgery. Anesthetic drugs have
after effects including nausea, dizziness, sleepiness, and loss of normal body coordination, or other signs
or symptoms. Pain medication may even make these problems worse.
Usually there are no limitations on activity 24 hours after discharge from the office. The majority of
patients do not experience any dizzy spells or bodily weakness the next morning. The decision to
continue one’s daily activities should be based upon the presence or absence of any unusual signs or
symptoms.
If there are any questions about postoperative issues, the patient should immediately contact Dr. McCarty
(cell: 310.403.7857) or the answering service of the appropriate doctors.