Pre Operative Instructions for Patients Undergoing Intravenous sedation:

It is our goal to make your surgical experience as pleasant and stress free as possible while maintaining the highest level of safety. Many patients can have their procedures completed using a local anesthetic to "numb" the area. For those people wishing to be sedated or totally asleep so that they are unaware of the surgery, intravenous (I.V.) sedation or general anesthesia is offered.  

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are unique among the surgical specialties with regards to anesthesia training. Every oral and maxillofacial surgeon during their residency programs receive formal anesthesia training. They are taught the skills to safely administer anesthesia to patients. This includes complete training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Most states have very strict guidelines regarding the administration of anesthesia in the office to ensure patient safety. Your doctor, as most oral and maxillofacial surgeons, follow the guidelines and protocols set forth by our state medical and dental regulatory body. By doing so, our office is regularly inspected. All surgical assistants are certified in CPR.

During your consultation appointment, Dr. Anderson will discuss the type of procedure involved, your medical history and your level of anxiety. Some procedures due to their nature require the use of I.V. sedation or general anesthesia. The choice of anesthesia is always a personal decision and should be made only after an informative discussion with your surgeon. In addition, prior to the procedure, you will be given instructions to prepare for surgery such as: wearing loose warm and comfortable clothing, not having anything to eat after midnight and clear fluids up to 6 hours prior to surgery, taking all of your regular medications, bringing an escort with you and making arrangements for your recovery at home. Please advise your escort that they will need to remain in the office waiting area during your surgical procedure.

Following your surgical procedure with I.V. sedation or general anesthesia avoid the following:

Avoid driving a car for at least 24 hours. Your reaction time may be impaired which makes driving a car potentially dangerous to you and to others.
 

Avoid making any important decisions or signing any legal documents. The potential for impairment relates not only to physical activities, but also to your mental state.
 

Avoid taking any medications unless prescribed or discussed with your doctor or other physician.
 

Some medications may adversely interact with anesthetic drugs or chemicals remaining in your body. Included are prescription drugs, such as sleeping pills or tranquilizers, and over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin.
 

Avoid drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours. Alcohol has the potential to react negatively with the anesthetic in your system. This includes hard liquor, beer and wine.
 

Dr. Anderson is available to answer any specific questions you may have in regards to the anesthetic. The benefits of I.V. sedation and/or general anesthesia include a decrease in anxiety and awareness during surgery. This translates into near or total unawareness of the procedure, lack of noise perception and no pain. During the procedure it is important to note that patients are still given local anesthetic to "numb" the area to prevent pain.
 

Coming to our office for the day of surgery and anesthesia is not much different from having surgery in your own hospital and it is often much more user friendly. The equipment in our surgical suites are the same used in the hospital. The type of monitors placed are a blood pressure cuff, EKG (electrocardiogram) and a pulse oximeter (measures the amount of oxygen in your blood).
 

You may not have anything to eat or drink (including water) for six (6) hours prior to the appointment.

A responsible adult must accompany the patient to the office, remain in the office during the procedure, and be able to drive the patient home.

The patient should not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following the anesthesia experience.

Please wear loose fitting clothing with sleeves which can be rolled up past the elbow, and low-heeled shoes. Contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery.

The removal of impacted wisdom teeth and surgical extraction of teeth is quite different from the extraction of erupted teeth. Post-operative problems are not unusual and extra care must be taken to avoid complications. However, the following conditions may occur, all of which are considered normal:

The surgical area will swell.

Swelling peaks on the 2nd or 3rd post -operative day

Trismus (stiffness) of the muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a period of days.

You may have a slight earache.

A sore throat may develop.

Your other teeth may ache temporarily. This is referred pain and is a temporary condition.

If the corners of the mouth are stretched out they may dry and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with cream or ointment.

There will be a space where the tooth was removed. After 24 hours this area should be rinsed following meals with warm salt water until it is healed. This cavity will gradually fill in with new tissue.

There may be a slight elevation of temperature for 24 to 48 hours. If temperature continues, notify us.

It is not unusual to develop bruising in the area of an extraction.

Please take all prescriptions as directed.

Women please note: Some antibiotics may interfere with the effectiveness of your birth control pills. Please check with your pharmacist.