For a shoulder arthroscopy, generally how long is it from the time you arrive in the surgery center to the time you are sedated before surgery?

Depends: For same day surgery it varies. Generally, we try to sedate you as soon as you arrive in the holding area. Time to sedation can vary depending on many factors. Some anesthesiologists will give a small dose of oral sedation prior to arriving at the hospital. Ask your surgeon or anesthesiologist how they handle this. Usually we try to "take the edge off" as soon as possible

Shoulder surgery: tough answer. so much depends on whether you are the 'first case of the day' or if you are following other surgeries. similarly, too, many ambulatory centers have different protocols in place. Plan on spending about 1/2 a day between checking in and checking out.

If you want: to be sedated early ask for oral Valium. Otherwise you'll have to wait until they start your IV to get Versed