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Meeting your anaesthetist: what to ask | CION Cancer Clinics
Before cancer surgery you will meet an anaesthetist, usually at a check-up before the operation. Ask which kind of anaesthesia you will have, how pain will be controlled afterwards, which medicines to take or hold, and what your own health means for the risks. This page lists the questions worth taking, what happens at the check-up, and how a family member can help. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What should you ask your anaesthetist before surgery?
- What happens at the pre-anaesthesia check?
- Which questions are worth taking with you?
- What should you bring to the check-up?
- What stops people asking the questions they need to?
- How can you help at the anaesthetist appointment?
- How can you turn a worry into a question that gets an answer?
- Common questions about meeting your anaesthetist
The short answer
What should you ask your anaesthetist before surgery?
Ask which kind of anaesthesia you will have, how your pain will be controlled afterwards, and which of your medicines to take or hold. Then ask what your own health means for the risks, and what you should do differently before the day.
When you will meet them
Most people meet an anaesthetist at a check-up before surgery, often called the pre-anaesthesia check or PAC. It may be days before the operation or on the day itself. You will usually see an anaesthetist again just before you go into theatre.
Why your questions matter
The anaesthetist is a doctor whose whole job is keeping you safe and comfortable around the operation. They are also the one who manages your pain afterwards. What you tell them changes the plan. What you ask them makes sure you understand it.
What this conversation cannot do
The anaesthetist does not decide whether you should have the operation. That is a discussion with your surgeon and your cancer team. The anaesthetist tells you how to get through it as safely as possible if you go ahead.
Write your questions down before you go. Worry makes people forget even the one question they cared most about.At the check-up
What happens at the pre-anaesthesia check?
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Your history
You will be asked about heart and lung problems, diabetes, blood pressure, snoring, earlier operations and anaesthetics, and any allergies. Answer as fully as you can.
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Your medicines
The anaesthetist goes through every tablet, injection, inhaler and herbal or ayurvedic product you take. Bring them all in their original strips or bottles.
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A short examination
They listen to your heart and chest, and look in your mouth and at your neck and teeth. This tells them how easy it will be to place a breathing tube.
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Tests, if needed
Blood tests, an ECG heart tracing or a chest X-ray may be checked or ordered. Some people are sent for extra heart or lung tests, which can take a few more days.
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The plan and your questions
The anaesthetist explains the plan and asks for your consent. This is your moment to ask everything on your list.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistYour list
Which questions are worth taking with you?
You do not need to ask all of these. Pick the ones that matter to you, and add your own.
About the anaesthetic
- Will I be fully asleep, or numbed and awake?
- Why is that the right choice for this operation?
- Will I have a breathing tube?
- Is there an option I can choose between?
About pain afterwards
- How will my pain be controlled after I wake?
- Would an epidural or a nerve block help me?
- Who do I tell if the pain relief is not working?
About my medicines
- Which tablets do I take on the morning of surgery?
- Which ones should be held, and who tells me when?
- What about my blood thinner or diabetes medicine?
About my own risks
- Does my heart, lung, kidney or sugar problem change the risk?
- Is there anything I can improve before the day?
- Will I need intensive care afterwards?
About the day itself
- When exactly do I stop eating and drinking?
- Can a family member stay with me until I go in?
- How long before I can eat and walk again?
In your bag
What should you bring to the check-up?
- Every medicine you take, in its strip or bottle
- Reports of recent blood tests, ECG and scans
- Discharge papers from any earlier operation
- A written list of allergies and what happened
- Your CPAP machine details, if you use one at night
- Your written questions, and a family member to hear the answers
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Commonly believed
What stops people asking the questions they need to?
"The doctor is busy. I should not take up time with questions."
Answering questions is part of the check-up, not an extra. A plan you understand is safer, because you are more likely to follow the fasting and medicine instructions exactly.
"I will leave out the ayurvedic tablets. They are only herbal."
Some herbal and home remedies affect bleeding, blood pressure or how anaesthetic medicines work. Mention every one, with its name or the packet. Nobody will judge you for taking them.
"If I mention I smoke or drink, they will refuse the operation."
Honesty helps the plan. Smoking affects your lungs, and regular drinking can change how much anaesthetic you need and cause withdrawal on the ward. The team prepares for both only if they know.
"The anaesthetist only matters for the hour I am asleep."
Anaesthetists plan your pain relief, sickness control and breathing care after surgery too. Their decisions shape the first days of your recovery, which is why pain questions belong in this conversation.
For the family member coming along
How can you help at the anaesthetist appointment?
Come along if you can, and take notes. The patient is often anxious, tired or unwell, and will remember only part of what is said. Your notes become the instructions for the days before surgery.
Fill in what the patient forgets
Relatives often remember a past reaction, a snoring problem or a tablet the patient did not think to mention. Speak up when you know something relevant, but let the patient answer first.
Ask for a language that works
If the patient is more comfortable in Telugu, Urdu or Hindi, say so at the start. Consent should be given in words the patient fully understands. Ask the anaesthetist to pause while you translate, rather than summarising everything at the end.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which anaesthetic is right, whether your family member is fit enough, or what their personal risk is. Those answers need an examination and their reports. Take this list to the person who can answer it.
Getting a useful answer
How can you turn a worry into a question that gets an answer?
The worry
A question that gets a clear answer
"Is it safe?"
"Which of my health problems adds most to my risk?"
"Will it hurt?"
"What pain relief will I have in the first two days?"
"What about my tablets?"
"Can you write down which ones to take on the morning?"
"Will I wake up?"
"Who will be watching me while I am asleep?"
Questions we are asked
Common questions about meeting your anaesthetist
Is the anaesthetist a real doctor?
Yes. An anaesthetist is a fully qualified doctor who has done several more years of specialist training in anaesthesia, pain relief and emergency care. They stay with you throughout the operation, watching your breathing, heart and blood pressure, and adjusting the medicines minute by minute.
Will the anaesthetist I meet at the check-up give my anaesthetic?
Not always. Many hospitals have a team, and the doctor on the day may be different. Your notes from the check-up go with you, so the plan is not lost. It is fine to ask to speak to the anaesthetist who will be in theatre before you go in.
Can I choose between being asleep and being awake?
Sometimes. For some operations both are reasonable, and your preference counts. For others, only one is safe or practical. Ask directly whether there is a choice, and if there is not, ask why. Being told the reason often makes the plan easier to accept.
What if my check-up finds a problem?
The anaesthetist may ask for more tests, send you to a heart or lung doctor, or ask to bring your sugar or blood pressure under better control first. This can move the date. It is done to make the operation safer, and your cancer team will be part of that decision.
Should I mention that I snore loudly?
Yes. Loud snoring, or being told you stop breathing in your sleep, can be a sign of sleep apnoea. It affects how the anaesthetist manages your airway and your pain relief. If you already use a CPAP machine at night, tell them, and ask whether to bring it to hospital.
Can I ask about the risks without being frightened?
You can ask the anaesthetist to explain risks in plain language and in relation to your own health, rather than as a long list. You can also say how much detail you want. Some people want every figure. Others want only what is likely for them.
Can my son or daughter ask questions for me?
Yes, with your permission. Many families prefer this. The anaesthetist will still want to hear from you directly about your symptoms and to check that you agree with the plan, because the consent is yours to give.
What if I think of a question after the appointment?
Write it down and ask on the day, before you go into theatre, when an anaesthetist will see you again. If it is about medicines or fasting, do not wait. Call the hospital and ask to speak to the anaesthesia team, so you get the answer in time.
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MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
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Dr. Vinay Mamidala
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Sources
- NHS — General anaesthesia
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- American Cancer Society — Cancer surgery
- Cancer.Net — Navigating cancer care
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
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