What is the post-anesthesia care unit?

If you have surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Candler Hospital or at our Pooler Campus that requires anesthesia, we have a dedicated area for you. It’s called the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), a place commonly referred to as the recovery room.

“This unit is dedicated to patients who, after surgery, are regaining consciousness from anesthesia,” explains Wesley Dwayne Johnson, a registered nurse in the PACU at Candler Hospital.

Anesthesia is medicine to relieve pain and feeling during surgery. There are different types of anesthesia. Sometimes the medicine is given locally, which stops pain for a short time to one part of the body. There’s also regional anesthesia which numbs part of the body. And then there’s general anesthesia, which makes you sleep during surgery.

Related Article: When would I need anesthesia?

For those patients, and possibly some other high-risk patients, a short trip to PACU occurs following surgery. PACU is not to be confused with the progressive care unit, or PCU.

The PACU team helps patients in a variety of ways including:

• Making sure patients can maintain their ability to swallow
• Monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen level
• Monitor end-tidal CO2, which is the level of carbon dioxide released when we exhale
• Assess  pain and use that to keep patients as comfortable as possible

“It’s natural for people to be concerned about the amount of pain they might experience after surgery, but that’s what we’re here for,” Johnson says. “We will make sure that when your surgery is over, you will be as comfortable as possible.”

Many of the nurses in PACU are certified by the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing, and nurses that are new to the area are encouraged to also go through the certification process, Johnson says.

The patient experience

Each patient’s experience can vary following surgery. Johnson says a typical patient recovering from outpatient surgery would be in PACU for about 45 minutes to an hour.

And most patients wake up calm, Johnson adds.

“In fact, we often hear patients say things like, ‘That was one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a while,’” he says. “Our goal for all patients is to provide as quiet of an environment as possible for them to wake up in. We speak to them in a calm manner, letting them know that their safety and comfort is our first priority.”

For those occasions when patients awake confused or agitated, Johnson says PACU nurses concentrate on making sure there is no possibility of self-injury until they are fully aware of the situation. For all patients, the team speaks in a calm manner, letting patients know that their safety and comfort is the top priority, Johnson says.

Children often wake up confused and looking for their parents, Johnson says. The PACU team always has two caregivers looking after children and helping to ease any anxiety. As soon as it’s possible, a parent is allowed in PACU to be with their child.

So if you or a loved one’s next surgery requires a trip to PACU afterwards, you can trust you are in good hands with our experienced recovery team.

“It’s our job to ensure a safe and smooth recovery for you,” Johnson says.