Conscious sedation is the use of a drug to produce a state of relaxation or anxiety relief to enable treatment to be carried out in a safe, controlled manner. You will NOT be unconscious (as you would be under a general anaesthetic) and you will be able to talk to us and hear what we say.

This method is ideal for

• those who are nervous or apprehensive towards their forthcoming oral / facial surgical procedure.
• those who require more complex surgery but who still don't need or wish to have a general anaesthetic.

Advantages of sedation over a general anaesthetic

• there is no need for a hospital admission - we perform surgery under sedation in our purpose-built operating theatre in our outpatient department at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
• you will be seen at a specific appointment time and will usually be able to leave 45 minutes after your surgery has finished.

Who can we sedate in the outpatient department?

• we follow strict safety guidelines recommended by our anaesthetic colleagues. At the moment we can sedate adults who are generally fit and well and who have no complicating medical problems. Our first stage health questionnaire that you will complete at your first assessment will give us all the information we need to make this decisison.
• If we cannot sedate you in the outpatient department due to a complicating medical condition we can arrange for your surgery to be carried out in the main hospital.

Are there any guidelines to follow?

• Yes - full instructions will be given at your consultation appointment.
• Please see our patient information leaflet here