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On the day

This page gives a general overview of what to expect on the day of your surgery. Your appointment letter will have all the specific information you need about your operation, including times and any special instructions.

On this page

Preparing for your operation

  • Stay as physically active as you can in the lead-up to your operation — this will help with recovery.
  • Keep good dental hygiene, as this can help reduce the risk of infection.
  • Do not drink alcohol for 24 hours before your operation.
  • Do not smoke or use recreational drugs for 12 hours before your operation.
  • Take a bath or shower on the morning of your surgery. You may be given an antiseptic wash to use before certain procedures.

When you arrive

Your hospital admission letter will tell you the date and time you need to arrive for your operation, and where you need to go. When you arrive, the reception team will check you in.

The nursing staff will help prepare you for your operation, they will show you to the area where you will wait for the operation. The nursing staff will explain to you how to get ready for the operating theatre.

You will meet a member of the surgical team and a member of the anaesthetic team prior to having your operation. This is an opportunity to run over the options for your treatment once more. Even if you have previously signed a consent form, you are able to withdraw consent or ask for more information at any time.

During your time in hospital, you may be asked the same questions by several people. This is routine, and ensures that correct information about you is checked and available at each stage of treatment.

You may want to ask some questions of your own, such as:

  • How long will the effects of the anaesthetic last?
  • How will my pain be managed after the surgery?
  • What should I do, and who should I tell, if I'm in pain?
  • When can I expect to go home after the operation?
  • When will I be told about any results of samples taken?

Going into theatre

You will be asked to change into a hospital gown. The ward nurse will help you if needed.

We will give you elasticated stockings to wear. These help to prevent blood clots.

Please take off all jewellery, including tongue studs, and keep them safely locked away with any other valuables.

Remove any nail varnish and make-up. This helps us check your skin colour during your operation.

You can keep your glasses, hearing aids, and dentures in. If they need to be removed, we will do this in the anaesthetic room and return them to you in recovery.

When it is time, a porter will take you to theatre. Before you go in, the ward staff will check your identity and the site of your operation. We will repeat these checks in the anaesthetic room before your anaesthetic is given.

Before your procedure, the doctor will discuss your surgery with you and why it is necessary. If you do not fully understand please ask for more information.

You will be asked to read and sign an electronic consent form which means you agree to the treatment being carried out, so it is very important that you understand before signing. Consent of parents or a guardian is needed for people under 16 years old.

Medicine

Take your usual medication unless you have been advised otherwise at your pre-operative assessment. Please make sure you read any instructions about your medicines carefully, and contact the Pre-Admission Unit (PAU) on 01284 712810 if you have any questions.

If you normally take medicines for a condition, such as tablets or insulin for diabetes, discuss this with your specialist as soon as possible before your operation.

You will also be asked if you are allergic to any medicines, including anaesthetic, or if any of your relatives have ever had similar problems. This is so that suitable precautions can be taken.

Anaesthesia

A general anaesthetic is a state of controlled unconsciousness, so you are asleep, pain free, and unaware of the surroundings for the duration of the surgery.

For surgery on the lower body it is possible to have a spinal anaesthetic with or without sedation instead of a general anaesthetic.

For arm surgery, a nerve block (plexus block) with or without sedation may be an option instead of a general anaesthetic.

For procedures on the body, a nerve block might be used (paravertebral block) in addition to a general anaesthetic.

Local anaesthetic infiltration of the wound is often used to reduce wound pain. It may numb the area for 6 - 8 hours after the operation.

You may receive a general anaesthetic only or a combination of the above, depending on your type of surgery.

Having a general anaesthetic

The anaesthetic can be started either via a cannula in one of your veins or by breathing anaesthetic gases via a facemask over your nose and mouth. This will be maintained either by anaesthetic gases via the lungs or drugs via a drip until surgery is finished. The best option for you depends on factors related to you, your surgery and the references of your anaesthetist.

When the anaesthetic is stopped at the end of the surgery you will regain consciousness, we do not usually need to give you any drugs to reverse the effects of the medication that keeps you asleep.

You should expect to be completely unaware of anything in the anaesthetic room or theatre once you have gone to sleep until you wake up at the end of the procedure. You will wake up either in theatre or in the recovery room depending on the type of surgery.

Modern anaesthesia is incredibly safe. However, we cannot eliminate all risk. You should be aware of potential problems before agreeing to an operation under general anaesthetic

Recovery after your anaesthetic

After surgery you will be observed in the post anaesthetic care unit (PACU), also known as recovery for a period of time. In PACU there are specially trained nurses, with more nurses per patient than on the ward. They look after you to ensure that you are safe as you recover from your anaesthetic. They check that your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing are satisfactory.

You may have more checks depending on the type of anaesthetic you have received and the type of surgery you had.

Other treatments in the PACU include:

  • Oxygen via a face mask or prongs into your nose until you are properly awake.
  • Anti-sickness medication.
  • Medication to treat pain to ensure that you can cope on the ward.
  • Recognition and treatment of any blood loss.

Once your observations are stable and you are recovering well, you will return to your ward if you are staying in hospital. If you are having surgery in the Day Surgery Unit, you will be discharged home.