Information about Anaesthesia

Information Leaflets

A series of guides to help you prepare for your anaesthetic – developed jointly by the Royal College and the Association of Anaesthetists (AAGBI). They give general guidance and discuss specific aspects of care.

• You and your anaesthetic – basic information to help you prepare for your anaesthetic.  
• Anaesthesia explained – provides more information about anaesthesia, and suggests how to find out more. 
• Spinal anaesthetics
• Anaesthesia for hip and knee replacement
• Epidurals for pain relief after surgery
• Headache after epidural or spinal anaesthetics
• Tonsillectomy
• Eye surgery under local anaesthetic
• Aortic surgery

See all leaflets in the series

Other formats for downloading

Information for Teenagers, Children and Parents

Information for children of different ages and circumstances.

Childrens section homepage

• Young children – Rees Bear
• Older children – Davy the Detective
• Sedation for children
• Children with learning difficulties
• Teenagers and young adults
• Young person's web guide

The Risks of Anaesthesia

Information about specific risks, concerns and complications of anaesthesia.

We have written a guide to Risks and Probability designed to be read in conjunction with this series.

Risks in Perspective

The common and serious risks

• Feeling Sick
• Sore Throat
• Shivering
• Damage to teeth, lips and tongue
• Damage to the eye during general anaesthesia
• Post-operative chest infections
• Becoming confused after an operation
• Awareness during general anaesthesia
• Serious allergy to anaesthetics
• Nerve damage after anaesthetics
• Nerve damage after epidurals and spinals
• Nerve damage after nerve block
• Equipment failure
• Death or brain damage

Information produced by other providers

Information sheets produced outside the College.

• Stopping smoking before surgery
• Breast-cancer and lymphoedema
• Mastocytosis and anaesthesia
• Nerve blocks for operations on the arm, hand or shoulder

Maternity, Childbirth and Epidurals
Information about anaesthetic choices in childbirth (including Caesarean section and Epidurals) are available from the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association.

Blood Transfusion
The Patient Information section of the National Blood Transfusion Service describes the benefits and risks of blood transfusion and the alternatives to transfusion.