Before your anaesthetic
For many healthy people, preparation is mostly a questionnaire plus routine instructions. A more detailed clinic review is more likely if you have significant illness, difficult previous anaesthesia, major obesity, severe sleep apnoea, serious heart or lung disease, pregnancy, complicated medications or a concerning family history.
What the pre-op questionnaire usually asks
- Past operations and any anaesthetic problems
- Medication list, including weight-loss injections and supplements
- Allergies, especially antibiotic allergy or anaphylaxis
- Asthma, wheeze, smoking or vaping history
- Heart disease, fainting, murmur, arrhythmia or chest pain
- Sleep apnoea, obesity, reflux or aspiration risk
- Diabetes, pregnancy, seizures, kidney disease and bleeding issues
- Family history of malignant hyperthermia or prolonged paralysis
Tell them clearly if any of these apply
- You or a relative had malignant hyperthermia
- A family member did not wake or breathe properly for hours after surgery
- You had anaphylaxis to an antibiotic, chlorhexidine, latex or another drug
- You take a GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medicine such as semaglutide or tirzepatide
- You have severe nausea after previous surgery or motion sickness
- You use opioids, cannabis, benzodiazepines or stimulant drugs
Fasting and medicines
Follow the exact instructions from your hospital. Anaesthetists care about fasting because stomach contents increase aspiration risk. Medication instructions can vary. Some medicines are taken as normal, some are withheld, and some need a tailored plan.
- Do not guess your fasting instructions.
- Ask specifically about diabetes medication and GLP-1 drugs.
- Bring a list or photos of all medicines and doses.
- Tell them about herbal products and bodybuilding supplements too.
Allergies and antibiotics
Antibiotics are often given around surgery, so previous allergy or anaphylaxis is not a side note. Be specific about what happened: rash, swelling, wheeze, collapse, ICU admission, adrenaline, or just nausea. True allergy and side effects are not the same, but both should be described accurately.
Needle phobia and inhalational induction
Some first-time patients are far more afraid of the cannula than the anaesthetic itself. It is reasonable to say this in advance. Options may include numbing cream, careful explanation, lying flat, distraction, a support person, or occasionally breathing anaesthetic gas to go off to sleep before the cannula is placed. That said, inhalational induction is not always the safest or best option, particularly in some emergency settings, severe obesity, aspiration risk, or in patients where GLP-1-related delayed stomach emptying is a concern. The final method depends on the clinical picture.