Learn More About Anesthesia
Our patients’ safety and comfort are our primary goals. We use a wide variety of state-of-the-art techniques to provide a safe and comfortable surgical experience. We are happy to provide you with skilled and professional anesthetic services and advice throughout your surgical experience and hospital stay. Listed below are resources to help you prepare for your surgery.
Your Anesthesia Care
This concise overview describes the preoperative consultation, guidelines for eating and drinking before surgery, the three basic categories of anesthesia, and what to expect after surgery.
Understanding Anesthesia
You can explore anesthesia topics from the Health Encyclopedia in more detail, including: Preparing for Anesthesia, What Happens During Anesthesia, Recovering from Anesthesia, and Frequently Asked Questions.
Anestesia para las cirugías
Anesthesia information available in Spanish
Preoperative Fasting Guidelines for Adults and Children
General guidelines for fasting (going without food or drink) before elective surgery.
| Ingested Material | Minimum Fasting Period |
| clear liquids | 3 hours |
| breast milk | 4 hours |
| formula | 6 hours |
| milk (non-human) | 6 hours |
| solids | 8 hours |
These recommendations apply to healthy patients who are undergoing elective surgery. They are not intended for women in labor. The fasting periods apply to all ages. Examples of clear liquids are water, clear fruit juices without pulp (which means you can see through them), carbonated beverages, clear tea, and black coffee. These should not have milk or dairy products added.
Preparing For Successful Surgery
Using guided imagery techniques to prepare for surgery can help decrease anxiety and pain while speeding up your recovery. This section includes information on how to obtain a program of guided imagery on CD for use before and after surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and answers on common issues relating to anesthesia and surgery.
Additional Resources
Health Encyclopedia
You can search for additional information on anesthesia, surgery and many other topics using the Health Encyclopedia
Drug Encyclopedia
You can also search for information on medications using the Drug Encyclopedia.