THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR SURGERY
MEDICATIONS
Unless specifically instructed otherwise by me, your GP or the anaesthetist please observe the following guidelines for taking medications prior to your surgery. 10 days before surgery: stop all Asprin and Asprin containing medications, anti-inflammatories, fish oil and St John’s wart. All of these medications may cause bleeding and need to be ceased where possible. They can be restarted post-operatively with instruction. Other blood thinning medications include: Plavix, Iscover, Clopidogrel, Dabigatran: these are commonly given to people with heart disease, sometimes after cardiac stenting. I must know about these medications but they should not be stopped without consultation with your heart doctor. I will facilitate this discussion. Where possible they will be ceased 10 days before surgery. Warfarin: this will need to be ceased pre-operatively. The timeframe for stopping it will be dependant on the reason it was prescribed. You will need an INR on the morning of your surgery if you take warfarin.
ON THE MORNING OF YOUR SURGERY
As you have been requested to fast on the morning of your surgery do not take your oral anti-diabetes medicines. If you normally inject insulin we will try and arrange your surgery early in the morning, get you to monitor your BSL carefully, and (usually) advise half the usual morning dose while fasting. Please let me know if you are on insulin. Do take (with a small sip of water) ALL of your other usual morning doses of regularly prescribed medicines, including heart and blood pressure medication. If you use asthma inhalers, take these also.If your surgery is scheduled for the morning, please do not eat or drink after midnight the day before. If your surgery is scheduled for the afternoon (after 1pm) you can have an early breakfast (before 5:30am) but nothing after that. You may brush your teeth – rinse your mouth but do not swallow the water. Leave all jewelrey and valuables (including credit cards and money) at home. Wear a minimum amount of make-up and no mascara. Please remove nail polish and acrylic or false nails. Please phone the rooms (5438 8900) after 1pm the day prior to your surgery to confirm your admission and fasting times.
THINGS YOU NEED TO LET ME KNOW BEFORE YOUR SURGERY
PREPARING FOR YOUR RETURN HOME
Do you have someone to help you when you return home?
You may need assistance with mobility, cooking, cleaning and personal hygiene.
Please ask me if you don’t think you will be able to cope and we can try and sort out some assistance for you.
CHANGE IN HEALTH STATUS
Please notify either myself or my practice nurse if you have any significant change in your health status prior to the surgery. This includes new medical diagnoses, colds or the flu, bladder infection or any infected skin lesions.
Please notify me if you have recently (last 2-4 weeks) travelled by airplane for greater than 2 hours.
This increases your risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and we may need to reschedule your surgery.
On the morning of your surgery could you please provide me with the name and contact details of the person you would like me to contact once the operation is finished.
With your permission I will contact them when you are in recovery to let them know they can come to see you shortly.
THINGS TO KNOW AFTER YOUR SURGERY
PREPARING FOR YOUR RETURN HOME
Please keep your dressings intact until your first post-operative appointment or until the dressing falls off.
You may shower once a day. Pat the area dry. Do not swim or immerse yourself in the bath whilst your wound is healing.
If you have any of the following signs of infection please contact the office:
pain that is getting worse rather than getting better
redness around the wound that is getting worse rather than better
discharge from the wound
In this scenario I will arrange to see you. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact the rooms.
Please call the practice between 10am and 2pm the day after your surgery to make a post-operative appointment if one has not already been arranged.