Driving |
Most
patients who can drive to their procedure will usually be able
to drive home after.
One
exception is surgery around the outer side of the knee – surgery
to this area can cause a temporary weakness of the ankle / foot.
Surgery
around the temple / forehead can cause some temporary drooping
of the upper eyelid which might impair vision for a while. |
Days off work |
If you
are planning to ask for a medical certificate for time off in
the days after your procedure please discuss this with Dr Phare
or our nursing staff before arranging time off with your
employer.
Most of
our operations will not require time off work in the days after
the operation. |
Blood thinners
Medicines |
Fish oil
must always be stopped 7 days before surgery.
Aspirin
is usually stopped 5-7 days before surgery.
Brilinta
or Clopidogrel / Plavix should usually be stopped 5 days before
surgery.
Eliquis
or Pradaxa should be stopped 2-3 days before.
Stopping
blood thinners before surgery is particularly important for
procedures involving skin grafts and skin flaps.
If you
take blood thinners and unsure about any of this please check
with Dr Phare before booking in for surgery. If your specialist
has advised you should never stop these medications, again
advise us before booking in for surgery.
Take
other medications like blood pressure tablets as usual. |
Antibiotics |
If you
have had a heart valve or blood vessel replaced you may need to
take antibiotics an hour before surgery – please discuss with Dr
Phare before surgery if this applies to you. |
Food and Drink |
Avoid
food and drink in the 2 hours before surgery.
Aim to
attend with an empty bladder. |
Shaving |
If your
operation will be on part of the body where there is hair the
area around the operation will usually need to be shaved,
usually about 10 x 10cm. This is best done two days before
the procedure rather than just before the procedure as this
has been shown to reduce infections. |
Makeup
Deodorant
Washing |
If your
procedure is on the face do not wear any makeup.
Please
attend showered and use deodorant normally.
Do not
come straight from a hot and dusty workplace - have a shower
first.
If your
occupation makes your clothes and / or shoes very dirty please
change your clothes before attending, eg miners, mechanics,
butchers etc.
Ideally
wash the surgical area with soap ( unless under the hair ) and
only apply moisturiser if the area is dry / cracked. |
Clothing |
Please
wear loose clean clothing and shoes that you can easily take off
and put on again.
Consider
wearing short sleeves if the lesion is on the forearm.
If the
lesion is on the neck wear a shirt without a collar.
Do not
wear clothes with buttons, fasteners that you can’t easily
operate. Clothing may get blood or disinfectant on them so
consider wearing darker colours and perhaps older garments that
are less precious to you. |
Masks |
As will
be with you for a prolonged period in a small room we ask all
patients to wear a face mask for surgery. This should not be a
cloth mask, it should not have a plastic valve on it and ideally
would be an N95 or P3 mask although surgical masks are
acceptable. |
COVID19 / colds etc |
If you
have or have recently had COVID19 or another infectious
respiratory illness you MUST postpone your surgery. If there is
a close contact with COVID19 or a household contact with COVID19
or a cold, please also defer your operation. |
Holiday |
If you
are planning to travel away from this area or go abroad in the 3
weeks after your surgery, please advise Dr Phare both before
scheduling the operation and on the day of the surgery BEFORE we
start getting equipment out and ready. |
Weddings and Social Events |
Avoid
planning surgery in the weeks before a social event where your
appearance is important to you, particularly on the face or
scalp as your wound may take some time to settle. |
Pacemaker |
Please
advise Dr Phare on the day of the operation if you have anything
electronic inside the body or a hearing aid. In particular this
includes pacemakers, cochlear implants, implanted pumps but does
not include shunts, joint replacements, heart valves or stents. |
Smoking |
Smoking
greatly hinders wound healing – try and stop smoking or at least
cut down 12 hours before your operation and while you have
stitches. |