day cases - effects of general anaesthetic!

Hi everyone,

I am researching lots of things about BAs atm, this website is fab for providing everything you need to know! I am curious about the effects of general anaesthetic and would welcome comments from those in particular who have had their ops as a day case. I would prefer to go in as a day case simply for financial reasons but I'm worried about the state I'll be in after coming round from it, would it even be safe/advisable for me to go home? I've had GA around 5 years ago when I broke my arm and it had to be re-set. I remember feeling really groggy when I came round, they kept me in overnight to keep an eye on my blood pressure, etc. I was under the impression that you had to stay in overnight after receiving GA but obviously this is not the case or they wouldnt be offering day cases!

Sorry for rambling, I just wanted to know what to expect and whether it would be worth me paying the bit extra to stay in overnight. thanks ladies :flowers:

Hi hun. I had my BA under general and I was a daycase! I was absolutley fine and dandy and didn't feel groggy at all!

They tend to push the day case through in the morning (I was in and out by 10am)then u have all day. I was told at 4pm I could go home whenever I was ready!

Not sure what surgeon/clinic ur with but Transform state that if u have to stay in (low BP, fainting etc) they will keep u overnight at no extra charge xxxx

I was a day case. I was fine after my ga. They monitored my blood pressure for a few hours after surgery then I was sent home. I was so glad I didn't have to stay as I dont like hospitals however nice they are lol.

I'm going to give the bad side of it I'm afraid!!
I couldn't have GA and be back home the same day, I'm really sick afterwards and this time my blood pressure dropped rapidly, I was checked on regularly throughout the night. I went home at 8am the next day, which was early, but I felt sooo much better than the night before. I would spend that bit extra to stay in overnight, but thats just me. If you feel ok afer GA, as alot of people do, then you should be fine to go home. Sorry to put a downer on it, but it's always good to hear both sides. :good:

I stayed overnight and i'm glad i did. I felt really groggy and almost drunk alll day lol. And the adjustable bed was a must for the first nights sleep, otherwise i wouldn't have been able to get back up! But everyone reacts differently to GA and some people feel fine. I would recommend staying overnight, simply because if there are any complications you know you're in the right place xxx

Hi Hun, I was a day case... My op was done by 1pm and I felt really sleepy and dizzy all day but was ready to go home by about 6... You will need to rest lots when you are home though Xxx

i went home a few hours after waking up. i felt ok but was really out of it and definitely wouldn't have wanted to be alone. so there was no need to stay in the hospital for me but i really was glad to have someone with me. //

I haven't had my BA yet but I did have a hysterectomy a few months ago.. I woke up from GA really shaky and nauseas..They gave me anti nausea meds and my blood pressure dropped really low so they had to monitor me.. I am hoping with my BA that my bp stays up.. I am a day case as well and the PS said I should expect my stay to be about 4 hrs..

Thx for your responses girls, it's definitely given me a lot to think over. if I go for surgery it'll probably be in cheltenham which is about 2 hours drive from home, do you think I'd have to stay in a hotel nearby or would it be ok for my friend to drive me back? xx

Hey there. I hope to have mine done as a day case as well if it's allowed, purely to save some dosh.
I'm pre BA, but I've had general anaesthetic twice before, and generally if you're in your twenties or so your body will have flushed it all out in only a few hours and it's generally not to be worried about - unless you have a bad reaction to it.
As soon as you come round you may feel a bit disorientated and your coordination may suffer (I remember having trouble typing a text on my phone!) but it's all over pretty soon, and within an hour or so you'll feel up for having a cup of tea. There are some lingering effects on your personality, I remember feeling more chatty than usual for a full day afterwards and being in a spending money mood, but that was over as well. Make sure someone is there to control you!
If you require a lot of pain killers after the anaesthetic, it can make the drowsy period longer, but again if you've got a friend with you then I don't think it would be a problem.
Obviously your mileage may vary but this was my experience!

PS if it's your friend who's driving then I don't see a problem with that, however check with the hospital as some may require that you stay within a certain distance in case complications suddenly arise. If I were you I would book a cheap room for one night, it's still much cheaper than the hospital bed.

I was an overnight case because I hadn't had an anaesthetic before and didn't know how it would affect me. I could have easily gone home, however, the nurses in the Nuffield Plmouth were great and oromorph regularly - so I was pain free, I wouldn't have been able to go home with that strong a painkiller. If I had to do it again, I would still stay overnight.
Good Luck

pink_jade05 wrote:I haven't had my BA yet but I did have a hysterectomy a few months ago.. I woke up from GA really shaky and nauseas..They gave me anti nausea meds and my blood pressure dropped really low so they had to monitor me.. I am hoping with my BA that my bp stays up.. I am a day case as well and the PS said I should expect my stay to be about 4 hrs..

I was exactly the same as you were after my hysterectomy too!!! (sickness and needing a heap of ant sickness stuff and super low blood pressure) and because of that I have been a bit worried about what will happen when I wake up from having the BA.

I have had tons of day surgery procedures though and had no dramas after having a GA (only when I had the hysterectomy), most of the surgeries were done in the morning and I was home by the afternoon but I do remember being so out of it and tired each time.

ive had both day and overnight, and tbh even with the overnight id have been ready to go home in the evening the day before, but i stayed since my other half had already booked his hotel room. Wasnt necessary though.

With day cases, they dont just kick you out whether youre ready or not. Theyll let you decide when you feel up to it, and if theres any problems theyll usually let you stay in anyway

I had a day case, i was determined i wasnt staying overnight as HATE hospitals and had a bad experience having my tonsills out a few years back.

The staff are sooo good ,like Abbie says, you will only be allowed home when youre okay also i dont mean to be contraversial but in a private hospital you are on a drip to flush the GA out of your system ASAP and they practically force tea, biscuits, water and food down you every 5 minutes to flush you out

whereas after my horrendous tonsilectomy (they didnt give me enough anaesthetic i started coming round mid op so they gave me more then when i woke up the muscle relaxant hadnt worn off so couldnt breathe, so had more drugs to counteract that - so i was feeling pretty horrible) i was practically left to it cos they are super busy, which i totally understand and have the UPMOST respect for NHS staff, they are overworked and underpaid.

My anaesthatist at Transform was brilliant - no problems and i woke up feeling great :) also i think you just feel better when you are in your own home x x

I'm pre BA and was told my patient co-ordinator at MYA that if you book a day case and have any complications, such as low bp or being sick they won't let you go home and they have no choice but to keep you in overnight at no extra cost. Personally I would rather be back home asap but everyones different. xx