Surgery with Intravenous Sedation

Instructions for Care-Givers

After Sedation

• Judgement and co-ordination are affected temporarily.
  Patients must be taken home and looked after by a responsible adult. They must not be left alone or assume positions of responsibility for 24 hours. They must not drive a car, drink alcohol, make important decisions, work with machinery, exercise, cook, or look after children. After an extensive or lengthy procedure patients should rest by sitting in a comfortable chair or by retiring to bed and resting with their head and shoulders elevated on 2 pillows.

After Surgery

• Patients may eat and drink following the procedure.
  It is best that they eat soft or pureed food for the first week or more, and if possible, favour the other side of their mouth.

• Numbness about the mouth, from the local anaesthetic, will last several hours.
  This may interfere with speech and eating/drinking. They should avoid hot food and drinks until the numbness has worn off. Patients should take care to avoid biting a numb lip and tongue.

• Bleeding in the form of a slight ooze is common in the first few hours. Patients may notice blood-stained saliva for the first day or so. If there is frank bleeding or the bleeding is persistent, they should apply pressure to the wound by biting firmly on a clean rolled damp handkerchief or sterile gauze (not cotton wool) for at least 20 minutes by the clock. They should rest in a sitting position and avoid spitting out. If the bleeding continues, please contact the surgeon.

• Pain-relief medications will be prescribed and will need to be collected from a pharmacy.
  Generally Panadeine and an anti-inflammatory medicine are used in combination, to good effect. Stronger pain-relief medications are sometimes required. Antibiotics will be prescribed, if necessary. It is important that the medications are taken as directed.

• Swelling of the face is common after oral surgery and develops over the first 24-48 hours.
  Cold packs (e.g. ice cubes or frozen peas wrapped in a damp towel) applied to the face overlying the surgical site(s) during the first few hours, will help minimise the swelling. Bruising on the face may appear after 1-2 days and may take 1-2 weeks to fully resolve. They may also experience limited mouth opening for a few days after surgery.

• Mouth-rinsing should be avoided on the day of surgery as it is likely to cause bleeding.
  The next day, patients should gently bathe their mouth with warm salt water (half a teaspoon of table salt in a glass of warm water) 3 times a day for the first 2 weeks. Alternatively, a mouthwash may be prescribed. They can recommence tooth-brushing the day after surgery, taking care to avoid the surgical site(s). Any stitches should dissolve in approximately 7-10 days.