Helpful hints

In order to ensure the smoothest progress of admission and recovery there are a few helpful hints for you in the days leading up to surgery.

- Transport: Think about who is best to bring you into hospital and take you home again (you will be given an expected date of discharge, but you recovery may take less or more time than this. When ready for discharge from the ward it may not always be possible to wait for your transport by your bed. In such cases the nursing staff will arrange for you to go to the discharge lounge where you will await your lift home and if required medication from pharmacy.

- Remember to wear (and pack)  loose comfortable clothing as well as night wear and slippers.

- Shower or bathe as normal on the morning of your surgery.

- You will have been asked/ advised at the pre- op school and appointment to bring any medication that you normally take into hospital with you, we do not need you to bring full packs, but please bring in the tablets with their packaging/ box. Pharmacy must be able to see the prescription instructions written on the medication boxes.

- Fasting before surgery. We are trying reduce the length of the 'nil by mouth' period before your surgery. You can eat and drink normally until 02.00 on the morning of the operation if you have been asked to come in at 0730 on the morning of your operation. So you may wish to have some toast/biscuits/cereal just before you go to bed. If you are asked to come in at 11.30 hours for an afternoon operation, you will be allowed to have a light early breakfast - either toast or cereal before 07:30 hrs. As part of the enhanced recovery programme, you will be asked to take carbohydrate based drinks called preop the night before and the morning of your surgery.  The aim of this is to enhance recovery post surgery and reduce the risk of complications.  This carbohydrate based drink will be given to you in pre op assessment with instructions on how to take it and what times to take them depending on the time of your surgery.

- Remember to bring a book or magazine with you to the hospital as there may be some waiting

- Please do not bring valuables or jewellery with you (no more than £10 would be needed for your stay to cover television/ phone, papers etc.)

- We would also ask you to arrange with your family to nominate one person to phone through to the ward to check on your progress and relay the information back to the rest of your family and friends (If every family member or friend of all our patients ring, the nursing staff will have less time to care for their patients!).