A resource by Dr Walid Aly · Specialist Anaesthetist

In an emergency, call 000

Before surgery

Questions to ask your anaesthetist before bone or joint surgery

The pre-anaesthetic consultation is your chance to understand the plan and shape it. These questions cover the things patients and families most often wish they had asked. Print the page, or copy the ones that matter to you.

Written by:
Altitude Creative
Clinical review:
In progress
Drafted:
2 November 2026

In short: ANZCA's position is that your anaesthetist should explain the options, the risks that matter to you, the alternatives and the likely costs, and give you the chance to ask questions. Written information, including this page, does not replace that conversation. Take this list, write down the answers, and bring someone with you if that helps.

Before the consultation

  • Write your questions down. It is easy to forget them on the day.
  • Bring a support person if you would like help remembering what was said. For an older relative, a family member who knows their usual memory and routine is especially useful.
  • Ask for an interpreter if you need one. ANZCA’s consent statement says a qualified interpreter should be encouraged rather than relying on a family member. TIS National is on 131 450.

About the anaesthetic

  1. Which type of anaesthetic do you recommend for my operation, and why?ANZCA lists the factors your anaesthetist considers, from your health to the surgeon's needs and your own preferences.
  2. Will I be awake, sedated or unconscious, and can I choose?With a spinal or a nerve block you can be awake or sedated. Say what you would prefer.
  3. Will I have a nerve block? How long will the limb be numb, and how do I look after it?Numbness can last from a few hours to more than a day. Knowing what to expect helps you protect the limb and time your pain relief.
  4. What are the risks of each option for someone with my health?Some risks are higher with age, smoking, obesity, diabetes, or heart or lung disease. Your anaesthetist can tell you how the general figures apply to you.
  5. What would happen if I chose a different option, or no nerve block?healthdirect notes that without a block you may need more of the stronger pain medicines, which are more likely to cause nausea or drowsiness.

About your health and medicines

  1. Which of my medicines should I keep taking, and which need a plan?Blood thinners, diabetes medicines and weekly or daily GLP-1 injections all need specific instructions.
  2. I have, or might have, sleep apnoea. What does that change, and should I bring my CPAP machine?The Sleep Health Foundation advises telling your anaesthetist and bringing your machine and mask.
  3. Have my blood count and iron levels been checked?The National Blood Authority says about one in five people having planned surgery have anaemia, which is linked to slower recovery.
  4. When should I stop eating and drinking, and can I take my usual medicines on the day?Rules differ between hospitals. Ask for them in writing.
  5. Is there anything I can do in the weeks before surgery to lower my risks?For example, stopping smoking, building strength, or treating low iron.

About pain relief and recovery

  1. What will my pain relief plan be in hospital, and how will it change as the block wears off?Pain often returns as the numbness fades. Knowing the plan avoids a gap.
  2. If I go home with an opioid, how much will I have, and how do I reduce and stop it?Australia's opioid standard expects a limited supply and a written plan to stop.
  3. How will blood clots be prevented, and will I need to continue anything at home?The risk continues after you leave hospital, so your discharge plan should cover it.
  4. Who do I contact about the anaesthetic or pain relief after I go home?Write down the name and number before you leave.

If you are a family member of an older patient

  1. How will you check for, and try to prevent, delirium?The Delirium Clinical Care Standard expects the risk to be identified early, so prevention can start.
  2. Should we tell you about memory problems or a previous episode of confusion?Yes. It helps the team plan medicines and care.
  3. Can a family member stay, or visit often, after the operation?Familiar faces can reassure an older person and help them stay orientated.

About costs

ANZCA’s consent statement says the financial implications of anaesthesia should be discussed as part of the consent process. Before the operation, ask your anaesthetist for an estimate of their fee and of any amount you will have to pay yourself after Medicare and any private health insurance. This guide does not publish fees.

On the day

Before you go into theatre, your anaesthetist will usually talk with you again. It is a good moment to check anything that has changed and to ask any questions you thought of since the consultation.

Sources

  1. ANZCA. PS26(A) Position statement on informed consent for anaesthesia or sedation. April 2021.
  2. ANZCA. Preparing for your operation (patient fact sheet). Fact sheet list modified 11 Mar 2026.
  3. ANZCA. Anaesthesia for joint surgery (patient information). Page modified 30 Sep 2025.
  4. healthdirect Australia. Peripheral nerve block (lower limb). Last reviewed Jan 2026.
  5. Sleep Health Foundation. Anaesthesia, sleep and sleep apnoea (fact sheet). 12 Jan 2024.
  6. National Blood Authority. Fit for surgery: managing iron deficiency anaemia. Updated 27 Mar 2024.
  7. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Opioid Analgesic Stewardship in Acute Pain Clinical Care Standard (2022). 2022.
  8. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Clinical Care Standard: consumer fact sheet. October 2018.
  9. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Delirium Clinical Care Standard (2021). Standard updated 2021; accessed 2 Nov 2026.
  10. Australian Society of Anaesthetists. Anaesthesia for hip and knee replacement surgery (patient information pamphlet). Last reviewed 12 Mar 2024.
  11. ANZCA. GLP-1 receptor agonists: clinical practice recommendations (with patient information sheet). Recommendations April 2025; page modified 22 Oct 2026.
  12. Department of Home Affairs. Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National): contact us (131 450). Accessed 2 Nov 2026.
Written by
Altitude Creative, health content team, on behalf of Dr Walid Aly
Clinical reviewer
In progress
Review date
Clinical review in progress
Next review due
Set at clinical review

How this guide is written, reviewed and corrected: editorial policy.

In an emergency, call 000. This information is general and does not replace advice from your treating practitioner.

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