Surgery Preparation Common Medications Before, During, and After Surgery By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN linkedin Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine. Learn about our editorial process Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD on December 02, 2019 linkedin Scott Sundick, MD, is board-certified in general surgery and vascular surgery. Since 2012, he has practiced with The Cardiovascular Care Group in New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Review Board Scott Sundick, MD on December 02, 2019 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Before Surgery During Surgery After Surgery The drugs commonly used before, during, and after surgical procedures vary widely from patient to patient. This is because the specific drugs you receive are based on the type of surgery you are having, the anesthesia you will be undergoing, and any underlying health problems you have. Eric Audras / Getty Images Pre-Operative Medications Before surgery, you will meet your anesthesiologist. At this visit, you will review all your medical and dental problems and allergies, as well as any medicines you are taking, including herbal supplements, vitamins, and any over-the-counter drugs like aspirin. In addition, be sure to tell your anesthesiologist whether you take illegal drugs, smoke, or drink alcohol, as all of these substances may affect how well you heal from your surgery and how well the anesthesia drugs work. On a side note, it's important to note that quitting smoking is ideal prior to surgery as it will lower your risk of lung complications after surgery, most notably pneumonia. Your anesthesiologist will also inquire whether you or a family member has ever had a bad reaction to anesthesia. In terms of medications, prior to surgery, an antibiotic may be given to prevent infections at the surgical site. Antibiotics are a category of drugs used to combat bacteria, and they are generally given orally (in pill form), or intravenously (through an IV). The selection of the antibiotic depends on the type of surgery a person is having. Its purpose is to prevent infection at the surgical site. For example, a person undergoing a coronary artery bypass surgery may receive an antibiotic called Ancef (cefazolin) within one hour prior to the incision (surgical cut) being made. Ancef is given through the vein (IV), and it's a first-generation cephalosporin with a similar structure to penicillin. Signs of an Infection After Surgery Medications Given During Surgery There are three different types of anesthesia: Local anesthesia: You are awake, and a medication is injected into the skin to numb or block pain in a specific site of the body (for example, removal of a mole on a person's back).Regional anesthesia: You are awake, and a medication is injected into an area of nerves to numb the part of the body that is undergoing surgery (for example, an epidural during labor and childbirth).General anesthesia: You are asleep, and a medication is given to stop pain from being felt anywhere in the body (for example, a surgery to remove a person's gallbladder or appendix). Most major surgical procedures require general anesthesia. With general anesthesia, a medication called an anesthetic is used to induce unconsciousness and ensure you don't feel any pain. It can either be given through the vein (intravenously) or through a breathing mask or tube. Diprivan (propofol) is an example of a short-acting sedative given to induce anesthesia. Intubation Medications Sometimes, a breathing tube is placed into a person's windpipe by an anesthesiologist to make sure a person breathes properly during the surgery. In addition, a medication called a paralytic may be used along with an anesthetic to deeply relax the muscles of a person's body during surgery. What Is Intubation and Why Is It Done? Sedatives Barbiturates and benzodiazepines, commonly known as “downers” or sedatives, are two related classes of prescription medications that are used to depress the central nervous system. They are sometimes used with anesthesia to calm a patient down just prior to surgery or during their recovery. Three examples of benzodiazepines sometimes used for sedation include: Ativan (lorazepam)Valium (diazepam)Versed (midazolam) Types of Anesthesia Used During Surgery Post-Operative Medications After a person has completed surgery in an operation room, he will go to a recovery room where nurses will closely monitor vitals (for example, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure), and ensure adequate pain control as the person begins to fully wake up from the anesthesia. If staying overnight, a person will eventually move to a hospital room for further rest, recovery, and pain management. Once in the hospital room, nurses and doctors will continue to monitor vitals as well as urine output and the rate of intravenous fluids. Surgeons may also have specific instructions for the surgical incision site, like how to provide proper wound care, and order blood tests to check for signs of bleeding or infection. In addition to these aftercare instructions, medications like pain relievers will be given in order to keep pain at bay while the body heals. Analgesics Analgesics, or pain medications, are used to control pain after surgery. They are available in a wide variety of forms and can be given in a number of ways like through an IV, pill form, lozenge, suppository, liquid, and even as a patch, where the medication is absorbed through the skin. The strength of individual pain medications varies widely, just as the dosage prescribed by a physician can be different from one patient to another. For this reason, the medication prescribed will depend greatly on the condition for which it's prescribed. Many post-operative analgesics contain opioids, either purely or in combination with acetaminophen or NSAIDs. Commonly prescribed pain-easing medications given in the hospital after surgery through a person's vein include Duramorph (morphine) and Dilaudid (hydromorphone) which are opioids. Upon discharge from surgery, opioid pain medications are given in the form of Lortab or Vicodin (acetaminophen/hydrocodone) and Percocet (acetaminophen/oxycodone). Other post-surgical pain-easing medications that your doctor may recommend include: Ultram (tramadol)NSAIDs (for example, ibuprofen)Tylenol (acetaminophen) Anticoagulants Another very important medication often given after surgery is an anticoagulant, which is a medication that slows the clotting of the blood. This is critical as one of the risks of surgery is blood clots, especially deep vein thrombosis, which often occurs in the legs. To prevent blood clots from forming and causing complications such as a stroke or a pulmonary embolus (a clot in the lung), anticoagulants are given through an IV, an injection, or in a pill form. Examples of anticoagulants include: ArgatrobanCoumadin (warfarin)HeparinLovenox (enoxaparin) Symptom-Reducing Medications Finally, your doctor may prescribe other symptom-reducing medications to ease any discomfort you may have associated with having the surgery or with the pain medications you are taking (nausea and constipation are common with opioids). Examples may include: Acid reducers like the H2 blocker Pepcid (famotidine)Stool softeners and stimulant laxatives like Peri-Colace (docusate sodium/sennosides)Anti-nausea medications like Zofran (ondansetron) A Word From Verywell When it comes to surgery, it is an undeniable fact that medications make procedures more tolerable, the recovery faster, and the pain less intense. That doesn't mean that medication can take care of everything because drugs can only do so much to make recovery better. A patient with a willingness to get up and move after surgery is going to have a better chance of avoiding pneumonia than the patient who won't get out of bed. The patient who actively participates in rehabilitation will often be stronger and have a better return to normal activities than the one who has to be coaxed and bribed into doing their exercises. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Wong J, Lam DP, Abrishami A, Chan MT, Chung F. Short-term preoperative smoking cessation and postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Can J Anaesth. 2012;59(3):268-79. doi:10.1007/s12630-011-9652-x Salkind AR, Rao KC. Antibiotic Prophylaxis to Prevent Surgical Site Infections. American Family Physician. 2011 Mar 1;83(5):585-590. Anesthesia. MedlinePlus. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; date unknown. Chidambaran V, Costandi A, D'mello A. Propofol: a review of its role in pediatric anesthesia and sedation. CNS Drugs. 2015;29(7):543-63. doi:10.1007/s40263-015-0259-6 Becker DE. Pharmacodynamic considerations for moderate and deep sedation. Anesth Prog. 2012;59(1):28-42. doi:10.2344/0003-3006-59.1.28 Garimella V, Cellini C. Postoperative pain control. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2013;26(3):191-6. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1351138 Alquwaizani M, Buckley L, Adams C, Fanikos J. Anticoagulants: A Review of the Pharmacology, Dosing, and Complications. Curr Emerg Hosp Med Rep. 2013;1(2):83-97. doi:10.1007/s40138-013-0014-6 Kesieme E, Kesieme C, Jebbin N, Irekpita E, Dongo A. Deep vein thrombosis: a clinical review. J Blood Med. 2011;2:59-69. doi:10.2147/JBM.S19009 Additional Reading Anesthesia. MedlinePlus. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; date unknown. Alquwaizani M, Buckley L, Adams C, Fanikos J. Anticoagulants: A Review of the Pharmacology, Dosing, and Complications. Curr Emerg Hosp Med Rep. 2013;1(2):83-97. doi:10.1007/s40138-013-0014-6 Anderson DJ, Sexton DJ. (2017). Antimicrobial Prophylaxis for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Adults. In: UpToDate, Harris A (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA Becker DE. Pharmacodynamic considerations for moderate and deep sedation. Anesth Prog. 2012;59(1):28-42. doi:10.2344/0003-3006-59.1.28 Chidambaran V, Costandi A, D'mello A. Propofol: a review of its role in pediatric anesthesia and sedation. CNS Drugs. 2015;29(7):543-63. doi:10.1007/s40263-015-0259-6 Garimella V, Cellini C. Postoperative pain control. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2013;26(3):191-6. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1351138 Johns Hopkins Medicine. Types of Anesthesia and Your Anesthesiologist. Kesieme E, Kesieme C, Jebbin N, Irekpita E, Dongo A. Deep vein thrombosis: a clinical review. J Blood Med. 2011;2:59-69. doi:10.2147/JBM.S19009 Mohabir PK, Gurney J. (May 2015). Merck Manual: Professional Version: Introduction to Care of the Surgical Patient. Salkind AR, Rao KC. Antibiotic Prophylaxis to Prevent Surgical Site Infections. American Family Physician. 2011 Mar 1;83(5):585-590. Wong J, Lam DP, Abrishami A, Chan MT, Chung F. Short-term preoperative smoking cessation and postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Can J Anaesth. 2012;59(3):268-79. doi:10.1007/s12630-011-9652-x