Facial Hair and Beards Information for Patients Undergoing General Anaesthetic

Facial hair and beards Information for patients undergoing General Anaesthetic

All our publications are available in other formats General Anaesthetic A general anaesthetic means giving you medication to put you to sleep for an operation. A breathing tube is inserted into your mouth to help you breathe during this time. At the end of the operation the anaesthetic is stopped and you wake up.

General Anaesthetic Bag Mask Ventilation Securing the breathing Airway Assessment tube

A general anaestheticAn airway means assessment giving helpsOnce the the anaesthetist anaesthetic drugs(medical have personbeen The airway tube is secured during you medication to put you to sleep given, the anaesthetist will take over who gives you your anaesthetic) decide how easy it will be the operation to ensure it does not for an operation.to Aplacebreathing the breathingtube is tubebreathing correctly for inyou. the Th windpipe.ey will inflate Lots of move. Facial hair can make securing inserted into your mouth to help you your lungs with a bag via a seal things are taken into account, including the size and shape of the breathing tube more difficult, breathe during this time. At the end created with a mask. and increases the risk of the tube of the operationthe the mouth, anaesthetic jaw isand neck. moving. With a beard it becomes difficult to stopped and you wake up. Facial hair can make this assessmentcreate a tight more seal, anddifficult, instead and of can Certain operations require you to lie inflating the lungs, the gas escapes hide signs of a potentially difficult airway. in positions where the tube is not Airway Assessment from the mask. easy to get to, making a secure tube very important. Bag Mask Ventilation An airway assessment helps the Key Points anaesthetist (medicalOnce the person anaesthetic who Facial hair can create difficulties in gives you your anaesthetic) decide drugs have the assessment and management of how easy it will be to place the been given, the your airway during surgery. breathing tube correctly in the anaesthetist will take windpipe. Lots of things are taken • Identifying potential difficulty into account, includingover breathing the size and for • Bag Mask Ventilation shape of the myou.outh, Theyjaw and will neck. inflate • Securing the breathing tube Facial hair can yourmake lungsthis assessment with a more difficult, bagand canvia hidea seal signs created of a potentially difficultwith aairway. mask. With a beard it becomes difficult to create a tight seal, and instead of inflating the lungs, the gas escapes from the mask.

2 Securing the breathing tube The airway tube is secured during the operation to ensure it does not move. Facial hair can make securing the breathing tube more difficult, and increases the risk of the tube moving. Certain operations require you to lie in positions where the tube is not easy to get to, making a secure tube very important.

Key Points Facial hair can create difficulties in the assessment and management of your airway during surgery. • Identifying potential difficulty • Bag Mask Ventilation • Securing the breathing tube

What can I do? Shaving or trimming your beard prior to your anaesthetic will assist in assessing and managing difficult airways. If your anaesthetist has reason to suspect you have a potentially difficult airway due to other factors they may strongly advise shaving. Some men wear beard ties, or ‘tha-tha’ for religious or cultural reasons. If this is the case, please make your anaesthetist aware. It may still be necessary to remove these before your anaesthetic.

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Tha gach sgrìobhainn againn rim faotainn ann an diofar chànanan, clò nas motha, Braille (Beurla a-mhàin), teip claistinn no riochd eile a tha sibh airson a thaghadh.

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Last reviewed: September 2018 Leaflet reference: MIS18-208-GD PIL code: PIL18-0045