The Theatre Journey

"Gardening after work?!

No way in this state!

I need help."

Is surgery the solution to your problem?

Ask your anaesthetist what you are interested in regarding anesthesia.

Anaesthesia is a state when you feel no pain.

Your anesthetist can advise you to go for a local/regional anaesthesia that involves numbing an area of the body by medications that can be used to treat painful conditions, prevent pain during a procedure or operation, or relieve pain after surgery.

Patient A:

"Gardening?!

I can't do that, the pain is too bad."

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

I want my ability to see and read back.

We can help you.

Have you been advised to go for a General Anaesthesia?

It will put you to sleep. It's initiated by intravenous administration of the anesthetic.medication and continued by administering anesthetic gases through

a mask or intubation.

Patient B:

"Read to me,

I can't."

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Life takes on dimensions in proportion to one's courage.

I Want To Make A Difference, How You Can Help Me ?

Spinal Anaesthetic – the lower half of your body is numbed by an injection in your lower back. This can be given alone, with Sedation (medicine to relax you) or in addition to a General Anaesthetic to help with pain relief after the operation. A Nerve Block might also be used to reduce pain after surgery.

Patient C:

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

Regional

Anaesthesia

and Spinal Anaesthetic?

Your Anaesthetist will inject

a local Anaesthetic drug around a bundle of nerves so that a part

of the body, such as leg,

is made numb.

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Pre-Op Check list.

We Need To Know The Answers To

Pre-Op Check list

Questions such as:

-are you allergic to any drugs?

-any past or current medical condition/diagnosis?

-what time you ate and drank

last time?

-any problems during previous

anaesthetic procedures?

-any metal in your body from

previous surgeries? ...

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Your dentures will be kept safe in the box to prevent their dislodge.

You have been asked to bring a supply of:

- all your medication and a copy of your repeat medication prescription

- mild painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen

- dressing gown and slippers

- if you have been advised you may need an overnight stay, a small overnight stay bag with night clothes and personal wash items.

Monitoring of:

Temperature

Heart rate

Blood pressure

Oxygen Saturation

Administration of the Medication via Cannula (small plastic tube, placed in your arm or hand) will take place here as well.

Pre-operative assessment nurse keeps everything safe for you and here in the anaesthetic room you will be asked to place your dressing gown and slippers into the bag with your name and personal details on.

Your personal music player will be taken to the theatre with you and the given hat will help us to keep the operating place clean and safe.

Anaesthetic Room/What to expect & what to bring ?

Anaesthetic Room/What to expect & what to bring ?

What are you going to be administered with?

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

In the case of intubation anesthesia,

oxygen and anesthetic gases are administered by means of a special tube, which the anesthetist enters into the trachea as soon as you fall asleep.

Anaesthetic Gases help to maintain you in a state of sleeping.

Intubation allows very reliable securing of the respiratory tract and artificial respiration and in case of vomiting, protects the lung from breathing vomit.

Anaesthetic Gases help to maintain you in a state of sleeping.

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Recovery/Vital Signs Check

Are your vital signs such as breathing, blood pressure and heart rate in the same range as before the surgery? We will make sure they are.

Recovery/Vital signs check.

A clip/peg on your finger, oxygen administered via a face mask, blood pressure cuff placed around your arm and heart monitoring leads on your chest will help your anaesthetic nurse/practitioner monitor your progress while recovering from your anaesthetic.

Recovery/Temperature check

Deviation in the body

temperature could be

a sign of possible infection

that We Are ReadyToTreat.

The inability to move the lower limbs after the General Anaesthesia is only temporary.

Recovery/Temperature check.

Maintance of the pre-op body temperature helps keep you comfortable.

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Recovery/

Fluid Balance.

Recovery/Fluid maintenance.

Fluid and/or blood intake keeps your renal function going.

Let us maintain it.

A drip giving fluids, a drain into your wound site draining fluids and a catheter into your bladder help to monitor your fluid balance.

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Day Surgery.

YES. I am ready

to go home.

Is the medication to be taken home, prepared for you?

Is the pain gone or bearable at least?

Is your surgeon happy with the surgery result?

Are you saying yes to all of the questions?

Day Surgery Unit (DSU)

Are

your relatives

and/or friends happy to take you home and stay

with you overnight?

Nobody is at home today to help you with your daily living activities?

You still have a drain or catheter in situ that need to be removed day after the surgery?

You were too busy to arrange transport home?

The analgesia used in the theatre and recovery made you feel drowsy and tired?

Day Short Stay Unit (DSSU)

Stay with us

over night if your answer to any of these questions is "YES".

Day Short Stay Unit

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Have you been admitted to the theatre from the ward?

Does your recovery from the surgery need longer time?

Picture of the nurse.

Did being immobile lead to additional health problems such as infection, pressure sores or blood clotting?

Ward

If your answer to any of these questions is "YES", we need to keep you in the hospital for a little bit longer for your own benefit and safety.

Ward

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

Before

Where can you get further information?

Contact the theatre or ward/clinic staff,

Visit www.rcoa.ac.uk/patient-information/about.

After

Return To The Life You Love.

If you think there is any good reason why the operation can't go ahead, i.e. suffering from

a cold or failing

the fasting

instructions before surgery, please

let us know as soon

as possible.

Patient B

Returned To The Life He Loves.

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.

After

The support and cooperation between patients, such as Patient C who returned to horse-riding after the surgery, and the NHS,

underlined by the mutual respect and sense of responsibility for

decisions taken, will ensure that

the needs of all of us are met.

Before

Return To The Life You Love.

Patient C

Returned To The Life She Loves.

Monika Zatrakova, NHS Anaesthetic Nurse/ Practitioner, Darlington Memorial Hospital, 2020.