It's important you know what to expect when you are about to have surgery at our hospital. We have set out some useful advice and information below about the different stages of having surgery.
There are different stages to having surgery. These include:
Once your GP or another team at the hospital refers you to a surgeon for an assessment we will send you details about when and where your appointment will be. Once the hospital receives your referral it is triaged (reviewed) by the consultants team. This means that the consultant will determine who needs to be seen most urgently, and appointments are given on that basis. We may send you and your GP an acknowledgement letter confirming that we have received your referral.
Read more on how the referral process works
Your appointment is with a member of the surgical team. Here you will be examined and assessed and you will have the chance to talk about the best treatment for you. You may be sent for some tests, such as blood tests, scans or swabs (when we take a small sample of a substance from your body for testing) and you will probably need to come back for a follow up appointment to discuss the results of these tests and any follow up treatment that the surgeon recommends. Read more about your outpatient appointment here.
Before you decide to have surgery, we will give you all the information about the benefits and what to expect, explain the risks to you and discuss if there are other treatment options you may want to consider. You may need to have further tests to help us and you to decide the right treatment for you. We want to involve you in decisions about your care and treatment. You work with the team to choose the best option for you. Read more here about taking an active role in your healthcare decisions.
It's important to look after your health while you wait for surgery. Staying healthy and getting fit can help you to recover quicker. Before you have your surgery, you can take simple steps to improve your physical and mental health such as continuing to exercise and keep active if you can, stop smoking and eat well. Looking after your health reduces the chance of complications. It also improves your wellbeing now and during your recovery.
You can also get advice and support from your GP and we will give you the name and contact details of the Clinical Nurse Specialist from your team who is available if you have any questions
At the hospital's pre-assessment clinic, we do tests to check if it's ok for you to have surgery. This happens a number of weeks before your surgery is scheduled. At this appointment we will
You may also have some tests such as
Read more here about your pre-operative assessment appointment
After your operation or procedure you may be admitted to hospital. This is when you stay overnight as an inpatient in a ward or unit or you might have your surgery and leave hospital on the same day.
Read more here about your inpatient stay
Read more here about your day surgery
You can leave hospital when we think that this is safe for you. It's important to keep well after surgery. This includes eating well, not smoking and drinking less alcohol if you need to. There is support available if you need help with your recovery and you can call the ward in the immediate aftermath of your discharge or discuss any concerns with your GP. You may also need to go to follow-up appointments.
Read more about your discharge and going home
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