Preparing for Surgery/Procedure
Once you and your doctor decide that surgery will help you, you’ll need to learn what to expect from the surgery and create a treatment plan for the best results afterward. Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems.
Working with Your Doctor
Before surgery, Arthur G. Handal will require you to have a complete physical examination to make sure you don’t have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or its outcome. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed a three weeks before the surgery.
Discuss any medications you are taking with Arthur G. Handal and your family physician to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery
If you are overweight, losing weight before surgery will help decrease the stress. However, you should not diet during the month before your surgery
If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications, you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimize bleeding
If you smoke, you should stop to reduce your surgery risks and improve your recovery
Have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later
Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron
Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared up
Home Planning
Arrange for someone to help out with everyday tasks like cooking, shopping and laundry
Put items that you use often within easy reach before surgery so you won’t have to reach and bend as often
Remove all loose carpets and tape down electrical cords to avoid falls
Make sure you have a stable chair with a firm seat cushion, a firm back and two arms
Preparing for a ProcdureIf you are having Day Surgery, remember the following
Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours
Do Not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home
The combination of anaesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting
After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat. Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours
Take your pain medicine as directed. Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty controlling the pain
