PATIENT INFORMATION
Should I remove dentures, jewellery, contact lenses or nail polish?
Hospitals have different policies depending on the procedure and monitoring. Follow the specific instructions given by your hospital.
Why these items can matter
- Dentures and removable dental appliances are particularly important to mention during airway assessment. Loose items in the mouth can move during airway management. Some hospitals let you keep dentures in until you reach the procedure room.
- Jewellery and piercings can catch, press on skin while you cannot move, or become tight if fingers swell. Metal can also interact with some surgical equipment. If a ring cannot be removed, tell the team.
- Contact lenses can damage the eye if left in during anaesthesia. Bring your glasses and a lens case.
- Nail polish, gel nails and acrylic nails can sometimes interfere with the finger sensor that measures oxygen levels. Some hospitals ask for at least one nail to be left bare.
- Hearing aids help you communicate. Some hospitals let you keep them in until the last moment.
Other items to check
- Make-up, particularly around the eyes
- Hairpins, hair extensions and wigs
- Skin patches, including medicine patches (do not remove a medicine patch without advice)
- Continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps
Practical tips
Leave valuables at home. Label dentures, glasses and hearing aids, and ask staff to record where they are kept.