You will check in, change, and meet your anaesthetist, who confirms your health details and the plan. In the procedure room you are connected to monitors and a drip, and your anaesthetist stays with you throughout. Afterwards you wake up in a recovery area, and most people having day procedures go home the same day with an adult to look after them.
Arriving
Allow time to find parking and the right department. At check-in, staff will confirm your details, put on an identity band and ask when you last ate and drank. You may be asked to change into a gown and remove jewellery, glasses, hearing aids or dentures. These can usually stay with you until the last moment.
Meeting your anaesthetist
Your anaesthetist will meet you before the procedure, even if you spoke earlier by phone. They will:
- confirm your health details, medicines, allergies and fasting
- explain the plan and any alternatives
- discuss the risks that are relevant to you
- answer your questions and check that you agree.
This is a good moment to mention anything you are worried about, including feeling anxious.
Types of anaesthesia
Your anaesthetist will recommend the type of anaesthesia that suits your health and your procedure. Sometimes more than one is used together.
| Type | What it means | How you may feel |
|---|---|---|
| General anaesthesia | Medicines make you unconscious for the procedure | Asleep and unaware of the procedure |
| Sedation | Medicines help you relax, usually through a drip | Drowsy; you may drift off and may remember parts |
| Regional anaesthesia | An injection numbs a larger part of the body, such as a nerve block, spinal or epidural | Awake or sedated, with the area numb |
| Local anaesthesia | An injection numbs a small area | Fully awake, with the area numb |
In the procedure room
The team will check your details again before anything starts. You will be connected to monitoring: stickers on your chest for your heart, a blood pressure cuff and a clip on your finger for oxygen. A small plastic tube (cannula) is placed in a vein in your hand or arm so medicines and fluids can be given. You may be given oxygen through a mask.
During your procedure
Your anaesthetist stays with you for the whole procedure. They watch your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels, adjust your anaesthetic as needed, and give medicines to manage pain and reduce nausea. If you are having a general anaesthetic, they also look after your breathing, sometimes with a breathing tube or airway device placed after you are asleep.
Waking up
You wake up in the recovery room, also called the post-anaesthesia care unit, where recovery staff monitor you closely. Feeling drowsy, cold, a little sick or emotional is common. Tell the staff if you have pain or nausea so it can be treated.
How long you stay depends on your procedure and how you recover. For day procedures you will be discharged once you meet the hospital’s or practice’s discharge criteria.
Risks and side effects
Anaesthesia is a routine part of many procedures, but no anaesthetic is free of risk. Your own risk depends on your health, the procedure and the type of anaesthetic. Your anaesthetist will talk with you about the risks that matter most for you.
Common, and usually short-lived:
- feeling sick or vomiting
- a sore throat, if a breathing tube or airway device was used
- shivering, drowsiness or headache
- bruising or soreness where the drip was placed
- temporary confusion, especially in older people.
Less common:
- damage to teeth, lips or tongue
- breathing problems during or after the anaesthetic
- an allergic reaction to a medicine.
Rare but serious:
- severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- awareness during a general anaesthetic
- nerve injury, heart problems, stroke or death.
The chance of serious problems is higher for people with significant health conditions and for major or emergency surgery. Asking questions is always welcome. Read Is anaesthesia safe? Understanding risk for how anaesthetists think about risk.
Interpreters and support
If you would like a professional interpreter, ask when your procedure is booked. The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) can be reached on 131 450. Dr Aly speaks English and Arabic. You are welcome to have a support person with you before and after your procedure, in line with the hospital’s or practice’s rules.
Going home
You will need a responsible adult to take you home and, for most procedures, to stay with you overnight. Read after your anaesthetic for what to expect in the first day and when to get help.
Sources
- ANZCA. Types of anaesthesia. Accessed 2 Nov 2026.
- ANZCA. What does an anaesthetist do?. Accessed 2 Nov 2026.
- healthdirect Australia. General anaesthetic. Last reviewed Dec 2025.
- ANZCA. PS26(A) Position statement on informed consent for anaesthesia or sedation. Apr 2021.
- Australian Society of Anaesthetists. During your anaesthetic. Accessed 2 Nov 2026.
- ANZCA. PG09(G) Guideline on procedural sedation. Dec 2023.
- Written by
- Altitude Creative, health content team, on behalf of Dr Walid Aly
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In an emergency, call 000. This information is general and does not replace advice from your treating practitioner.