Preoperative preparation

Fasting

As this operation is performed under a general anaesthetic or a spinal anaesthetic, you will 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 trouble 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 issues with your bowels.

Medications

Whilst you will usually be able to continue taking your prescribed medications, including blood thinning medications, prior to your surgery, this is not always the case. In some instances it may be necessary to cease some medications so it is important that that Dr Swindle is aware of all drugs, pills and medications that you take, whether on prescription or not. Dr Swindle and your Anaesthetist will discuss with you which of these medicines you can take on the day of surgery and which may need to be avoided.

Be sure to bring all medications that you are currently taking with you to the hospital, including inhalers and sprays, in their labelled containers.

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

Admission to hospital

When you come to hospital you will need to bring an overnight bag with enough clothes for an overnight hospital stay. 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 anaesthetist 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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