Planning Your Visit
What happens between a first appointment and an operation, what to bring, and what the hospital expects.
The part that surprises people is how much happens before an operation. An assessment, tests, a pre-operative review, a medication review, a discussion of the anaesthetic, fasting instructions and a written plan all come first. None of these is a formality. A test result, a medicine that has to be adjusted, or a question you have not had answered can change the plan or move the date.
What you bring and organise matters as much as what the hospital does. Records and images from any previous treatment, a list of the medicines you take, and the name of the clinician who prescribed them. Someone to travel home with you if you are having an anaesthetic, and someone at home for the first period afterwards. Time off work, and a way to reach the team if something changes. The appointments site covers what a first appointment involves and what follows it.
Several sites cover this because the questions arrive in sequence. The appointment is one subject, the hospital as a place is another, the anaesthetic a third, and the day-of checklist a fourth. Read the preparation page before the day rather than on it, when there is still time to act on what it asks you to do.
Background and service lines
The medical system behind the cluster.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring to a first appointment?
Records and images from any previous treatment, a list of the medicines you take and who prescribed them, the results of recent tests, and any questions you have written down. If you have had treatment elsewhere, the operation notes are the most useful thing you can bring. Bring someone with you if you want a second pair of ears for the plan.
Can I take my usual medicines before surgery?
Some classes of medicine need to be reviewed before an operation, and that decision belongs to the team looking after you rather than to you alone. Bring the full list, with the name of the clinician who prescribed each one, and do not stop anything on your own in the meantime. The preparation page covers which classes need to be discussed.
How long before surgery do I need to stop eating?
The fasting instruction is specific to your operation and to the anaesthetic, and it is given to you in writing. Follow it exactly rather than applying a general rule you have heard before, and ask if any part of it is unclear. If you eat when you were told not to, say so, because a date can be moved rather than lost.
Do I need someone with me?
For anything involving an anaesthetic, plan for someone to travel home with you and to stay with you for the first period afterwards. Bring a companion to the appointment if you want help remembering the plan, and check what companions are able to do during a visit, because this varies between areas of the hospital.
What happens if I need to postpone?
Postponement is a normal part of planning rather than a failure. An illness, a new medicine, an abnormal test result or a problem at home can all justify moving a date. Say so as early as you can, because the sequence of tests and reviews may need to be repeated, and make sure your questions are answered before you agree a new date.
How much time should I plan to take off work?
That depends on the operation and on the work you do, and it is set out in the written plan rather than guessed in advance. Physical work usually needs longer than desk work, and the recovery timeline for your procedure is the reasonable starting point. Ask what the plan assumes, and build in more time rather than less.
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