Preparing for surgery
Preparing for your surgery and hospital stay means knowing what you need to do in the days before your operation. Prior to your surgery date, you may be required to attend the hospital for a pre-operative assessment.
What happens during a pre-operative assessment?
The pre-operative assessment clinic gives your surgical team the opportunity to make sure you are fit enough for the surgery and anaesthetic. They will check if you have medical problems which need treating prior to surgery, any medications you should stop in advance and can advise you on how long you are likely to stay in hospital. You’ll be asked questions about your medical history, the support you have at home, and current health. They may want you to review your current medication so please bring these with you. You may also be asked to carry out tests such as MRSA screening, blood tests, or urine tests.
During this visit, you will have a chance to ask last-minute questions.
What should I bring into hospital?
Make sure you pack everything you will need during your hospital stay. This might include:
All tablets, medicines or inhalers that you have been prescribed (including those stopped prior to surgery)
Personal items – including night clothes, dressing gown and slippers if you are staying in overnight
Your spectacles (labelled with your name)
Toiletry items (toothbrush, toothpaste, flannel, soap, shampoo, shaving equipment, comb or hairbrush etc).
Mobile phone and charger
Comfortable footwear
A notebook and pen to write down important instructions
During the 2 weeks before your surgery:
If you take regular medications such as blood thinners, you may be asked to stop these prior to your surgery day. Your healthcare provider will advise you on what medications you need to stop and when.
Your surgeon and anaesthetist want your health as optimal as possible, so any underlying medical conditions need to be well controlled prior to your admission.
If you smoke, try to stop. Ask your provider for help. Smoking can slow wound and bone healing and increases risks of various surgical and anaesthetic complications.
Any underlying infections will need to be treated prior to your procedure so make sure you inform your surgical team in advance.
Get plenty of rest and eat well so you are in your optimum health both mentally and physically.
Avoid alcohol. Heavy alcohol use influences the effectiveness of anaesthesia.
You will be asked to remove all jewellery especially rings on the side of the surgery. If these are difficult to come off, you will need to have them cut off. You may wish to arrange for this yourself.
What do I do on the day of my surgery?
Please follow the advice given by your care team regarding taking or stopping your routine medication before the operation. Please bring all your medicines with you to the hospital.
If you are using any devices (eg. CPAP machine), please bring it with you. You may need it whilst in the hospital.
You will be expected to attend the ward/admission unit shown on your letter at the specific time indicated.
Fasting: All patients need to fast for 6 hours (for solid food) before any anaesthesia is administered. You may drink clear liquids like Water, Black Coffee or Black Tea up to two hours before the operation. Please do not chew gum or eat sweets. You need an empty stomach so you do not vomit while you are under anaesthetic.
Milk, fizzy drinks (including Red Bull and Lucozade), fruit juice or milky tea/coffee are not allowed.
Hygiene: To help reduce unwanted bacteria (germs), it is important that you remove all body piercings, make-up, and nail polish before your operation.
Finally, a positive attitude is important to have. Recovering from surgery takes time, and you’ll need to be patient. Stay positive, and focus on the small milestones as you pass them
Watch this video: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/having-surgery/preparation/
References:
Royal College of Anaesthesia (2019) Patient Information. Accessed 2 October 2022 - https://rcoa.ac.uk/patient-information/patient-information-resources/anaesthesia-risk
Royal College of Surgeons (2021) Preoperative Assessment and Optimisation for Adult Surgery including consideration of COVID-19 and its implications .Accessed 3 October 2022. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/files/rcs/news-and-events/2020/preoperative-assessment-and-optimisation-guidance_format.pdf
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2020, Perioperative care in adults, viewed 23 September 2022
NHS, 2018, Before surgery – Having an operation(surgery), viewed 11 September 2022 - www.nhs.uk/Conditions/surgery/Pages/preparing-for-surgery.aspx
NHS, 2018, General Anaesthesia, viewed 19 September 2022,