Preparing for Surgery & Procedure

Once you and your doctor decide that surgery will help you, you'll need to learn what preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems.

Working with Your Doctor

Before the day of surgery please notify our centre if you have any medical conditions which might impact on your surgery or recovery, such as Diabetes Mellitus, bleeding or clotting disorders, heart conditions, unstable epilepsy or poorly controlled Asthma. If you are unwell please see your local family doctor to assess if your condition needs to be treated prior to the day of your surgery. E.g. if you have a chest infection. Bring along any tests that you have had done such as ultrasounds, blood tests and evidence of your blood group if you have this.

Discuss any medications you are taking when booking your appointment so we can advise you if you need to stop this prior to the day of your surgery.

The current guidelines recommend patients that are overweight to be operated only in hospitals with acute care facilities. As we are a Day Hospital Facility we will not be able to perform your surgery if your Body Mass Index is over 40. Please check your current weight and height and use our BMI calculator if required.

If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications, you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimize bleeding.

If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your surgery risks and improve your recovery.

Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron.

Report any infections to your doctor. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared up.

Home Planning

As you will be drowsy after the surgery we recommend you have your partner or friend stay with you at home on the day of the surgery. This means that women with children should organise for someone to help care for the children or pick them up from school as you will need to go straight home and rest in bed.