Fasting

This operation is performed under a general anaesthetic or a spinal anaesthetic and you will therefore be required to fast prior to the operation. You must fast for 6 hours prior to the procedure. Fasting prior to an operation includes all food and fluids. If you are a diabetic please let us know when we are booking your operation so that we can take this into consideration.

Bowels

You do not need any specific preparation for your bowels. If you move your bowels regularly each morning then no preparation will be required. If you have troubles with bowel motions or are constipated you may require a Microlax enema, which can be purchased over the counter from a pharmacy and administered by yourself on the morning of the procedure. Please let Dr Swindle know if you have troubles with your bowels.

Medications

You are usually able to continue taking your prescribed medications during the course of your surgical procedure however it may however be necessary to cease some medications. Be sure to bring all medications that you are currently taking with you to the hospital, including inhalers and sprays, in their labelled containers. Please advise Dr Swindle and your anaesthetist who will discuss with you which of these medicines you should take on the day of surgery and which may need to be avoided.

Many medications can thin the blood and cause excessive bleeding during surgical procedures. It is very important that you cease any blood thinning medications 7-10 days prior to some surgical procedures. However, do not cease any of these medications without discussion with Dr Swindle.

Generally, anti-coagulant medications should be ceased 5 days before the surgical procedure (and you may need to start on other medications when you’re not taking these). A blood test should be performed on the morning of the procedure to ensure that the blood is clotting appropriately. The medications should not be resumed until 1-2 weeks after the surgical procedure but Dr Swindle will discuss the exact timing of restarting these medications with you.

You should stop taking all natural therapy preparations as these may interfere with the clotting ability of the blood.

Please ensure Dr Swindle is aware of all drugs, pills and medications that you take, whether on prescription or not, even if they are not on the list of medications to avoid.

Admission to hospital

When you come to hospital you will need to bring an overnight bag with enough clothes for a hospital stay of approximately 2 nights. Please also bring all your x-ray films and your medications. Please ensure that you bring all paperwork provided to you by Dr Swindle’s rooms.

You will be advised at what time to come to hospital and where to present to. Generally you will be checked in at the Day Surgery Unit. Here the nursing staff will check all of your details and medical history and take your blood pressure, pulse and temperature and help you change into a theatre gown.

You will be taken into theatres on a theatre bed and you will see the anesthetist who will take a medical history from you and discuss whether you will have a spinal or general anaesthetic. A spinal anaesthetic consists of having a needle in the back to inject local anaesthetic around the spinal cord which causes numbness from the waist down. With a general anaesthetic you are put to sleep for the duration of the operation.

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