Day of Surgery
The hospital should give you complete
instructions before your procedure.
FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!
If you have any questions, call the hospital
or our
surgery.
Arrive early
Hospital operating rooms are on a tight
schedule, and the use of these rooms is very
expensive. Being late to the hospital could
mean having to reschedule the procedure, and
wasting of time and resources.
Do not eat or drink
The length of time to not eat or drink will
vary depending on the procedure. Keep in
mind, this also includes not even having a
glass of water. The reason for this is
primarily due to the anaesthesia that can
cause nausea and vomiting if the stomach is
not empty.
Pack light.
Your belongings should be limited--it is
best to start with less and have someone
bring more later. A bag of toiletries and
some loose comfortable clothes is a good
start. Leave all valuables at home.
Bring any hospital documents and current
medications. Come to the hospital with your
information and any documents we have given
to you.
Also, have your current medications, in
their original containers, with you.
What to expect;
Exactly what will happen in your case will
vary depending on the procedure being
performed. However, the general schedule of
your day will be somewhat consistent.
To get an idea of what happens during
surgery, I have organised a sample schedule
for one common operation, a knee replacement
surgery. This will give you an idea of what
will happen, who you will see, and what to
expect:
Don’t forget to bring ALL your x-rays
