Before Your Surgery
Pre-operative assessment
At some hospitals, you’ll be asked to attend a pre-operative assessment clinic, which may be an appointment with a nurse or doctor. It usually happened a week before the surgery. Sometimes, preoperative anaesthetic team review is mandatory for patients with comorbidities that may increase the risks of general anaesthesia. The treating team will decide whether you need an anaesthetic review or not depending on their assessment.
The Hospital will contact you to arrange the pre-assessment review date. You’ll be asked questions about your health, medical history, your regular medications and home circumstances. Basic tests may be requested if you don’t have other clinical conditions, however, more complex investigations, such as the anaesthetic review may be required before the surgery. This is done to check if you have any medical problems that might need to be treated before your operation, or if you’ll need special care during or after the surgery.
The tests you’ll have will depend on what operation and the kind of anaesthetic you’re having. If your operation is under local anaesthesia, you may not need any of these.
Medication History
It would be very helpful if you can bring the results of any previous tests, as well as all the medications, vitamins and herbal supplements you take. It’s vital to notify the doctor of any medication that affect your blood clotting like antiplatelet(aspirin, clopidogrel), Anticoagulation (Warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban etc.) as you may need to stop these medication before the operation.
You’ll be given clear information on:
- whether you need to stop eating and drinking in the hours before your operation
- whether you should stop taking your usual medications before going into hospital
- what to bring with you into hospital
- whether you’ll need to stay in hospital overnight and, if so, for how long
Hygiene
You’ll need to remove all body piercings, make-up and nail polish before your operation. This helps reduce the number of unwanted bacteria from being brought into the hospital. It also helps doctors to see your skin and nails to make sure your blood circulation is healthy. It is strongly recommended that you have a bath or shower with antibacterial shampoo before coming in for your surgery.
Cancelling or Rescheduling Surgery
If you’re unable to attend your hospital appointment or don’t feel well enough to have your operation, let the hospital know as soon as possible. They’ll be able to talk to you about rearranging the appointment. Let your surgeon know if you develop a cough, cold or fever a few days before surgery. They’ll advise whether your operation can go ahead.