Discharge

Following General Anaesthesia you must be accompanied home by a responsible adult and must have a suitable adult person with you for the remainder of the day as well as overnight if possible. You must travel home in a private car or taxi. You must not plan to use public transport for your journey home.

Anaesthesia will impair your co-ordination, reflexes and mental processes. For up to the next 24 hours a small amount of anaesthetic may still be circulating in the body. During this time you must not: 
 

• drive a car 
• operate machinery 
• drink any alcohol 
• sign important documents or make important decisions 
• engage in sports, heavy work or heavy lifting

A nursing staff member is on call 24 hours a day if problems occur in the immediate post-operative period. Contact details for this service are given on discharge.

You may suffer some pain or discomfort post-operatively. You may take paracetamol (if you are not allergic to it) every 4 – 6 hours, or other medication that your doctor has prescribed for you. You may experience nausea and/or vomiting as a result of medications that are given intra-operatively. This usually settles quickly of its own accord. You should take only clear fluids until it has settled. Contact your doctor if it persists.

You will be contacted by nursing staff by phone at home within 24 – 48 hours after discharge to see how you are. If you have any concerns do not hesitate to ask for assistance.