Depending on when you are admitted to the hospital, you may speak to and be examined by a member of the department of anesthesia. They will ask you a lot of questions, explain the anesthetic procedure, and in some cases, allow you to choose the type of anesthetic used. The nursing staff will take your temperature, pulse, respiration rate and blood pressure.

A member of the surgical team, who will again perform a complete history and physical examination and be available to answer any of your last-minute questions, will visit you.

Your family may visit you the morning of surgery in your room if you like. They should keep the staff at the nurses' desk informed of their location during your surgery.

Before going to the operating room:

• You may brush your teeth and rinse your mouth, but do not swallow water.
• Elastic support hose or a compression pump will be applied to your opposite leg to help with circulation while you are lying on the operating room table.
• You will be asked to empty your bladder.
• To administer medications, an intravenous (I.V.) line will be started by the nurse or a member of the anesthesiology staff.
• Medications may be given approximately one hour before surgery to help you relax and dry your mouth and sinuses.
• You will be transferred to the holding area and from there to a stretcher prior to going to the operating room.

In the operating room, you will be transferred from the stretcher to a special operating room table. The room is equipped with special overhead surgical lights and anesthetic equipment. The procedure will flow as described in the surgical technique section.