Pre-admission Testing
All pre-admission investigations (these may include blood tests and/or xrays) must be completed at least a week prior to surgery or you risk having your surgical procedure rescheduled. This is for your safety and to pre-screen all possible conditions your physician and anesthetist need to be aware of prior to surgery.
Please inform your physician and anaesthetist if you are taking:
- Blood thinners (Warfarin, Heparin, Plavix, Aspirin etc) – These products could prolong bleeding time and therefore might need to be discontinued prior to your surgery.
- NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Celebrex, Voltaren etc) – It is usually advised to stop taking these medications 1 week prior to the surgery.
General Instructions
Before your surgery, you will receive a phone call from the surgical booking staff regarding pre-operative instructions. You will be advised specifically about your admission process. Basic instructions generally include:
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery (including drinking water, chewing gum, eating hard candy or chewing tobacco).
- Refrain from smoking after midnight the night prior to your surgery.
- Do not drink alcoholic beverages 24 hours prior to your surgery.
- If you take medications for diabetes, blood pressure or your heart, please take these medication(s) as directed by the anesthetist with just a sip of water.
- Take a shower or bath, but do not apply lotions or powder. This will minimize the chance of infection.
- Leave all valuables at home. Wear loose, comfortable clothing to surgery. You will find this helpful when returning home.
- Notify us if there is any change in your physical condition such as cold, fever, sore throat, rash, nausea, vomiting. We may need to reschedule your surgery.
- Please be aware that although we have estimated a start time for your operation, delays may occur due to emergencies or difficulties with a prior operation. We thank you in advance for your patience should this occur.