You may be having a shoulder operation for a fracture, tendon or ligament injury/tear,
replacement operation or any other elective procedure (keyhole or open technique).
Having an operation can be a stressful experience. This is designed to give you some
basic information and help you prepare for an anaesthetic for your surgery.
On the day of your operation
Nothing to eat or drink – fasting (‘Nil by mouth’) The hospital will provide you clear
instructions about fasting. It is important to follow these.
If you are a smoker—it is highly recommended that you quit smoking as smoking has been
negatively linked to bone and tissue healing after surgery
This will help avoid breathing problems during your anaesthetic.
If you are taking medicines, you should continue to take them as usual, unless your nurse,
anaesthetist or surgeon has asked you not to.
If you feel unwell when you are due to come into hospital, please contact the hospital for
advice.
Your Anaesthetic options
You may be aware of a number of different anaesthetic options that can be used for
this type of surgery.
A nerve block where you stay awake (with or without sedation).
A nerve block with general anaesthetic.
A general anaesthetic (being fully asleep)
The anesthetist will see you before your surgery on the day and you will have an
opportunity to discuss what is best suited for you. The anaesthetic procedure will
proceed only after you understand and agree with what has been planned for you. If
you have any questions please discuss this in detail with your anaesthetist / surgeon
who will be more than happy to address your queries.
A Nerve Block – also called a regional block
This is an injection of local anaesthetic medication in your neck that ‘blocks’ the
nerves that go to your shoulder and upper limb numbing them for many hours
afterwards. You will not be able to move your arm properly during this time. You
may also ask for some sedation to help you relax before a block.
A nerve block is carried out in the anaesthetic room. A plastic cannula is inserted into
a vein on your hand to enable us to give you fluids and medications. You are
connected to routine monitoring equipment during the procedure. After cleaning the
side of your neck with an antiseptic and injecting local anaesthetic to numb the skin,
the nerve block is performed. A needle is guided by your anaesthetist with the help of
an ultrasound machine to inject the local anaesthetic drug around nerves in your neck
area. Ultrasound makes the whole process a lot safer and more effective.
The block generally starts to work within 5 minutes and the surgeon will check and
ensure that it is completely effective before commencing the surgery. You may feel
some sensation of tugging and pressure but there should not be any sharp pain. The
