Preparing for surgery means understanding the reason for the procedure, improving risks that can be changed and arranging a safe transition home. Instructions vary by operation and anaesthesia, so the treating team’s written guidance always takes priority over a general checklist.
Understand the decision
Ask for the diagnosis, goal of surgery, realistic benefit, material risks, alternatives and what may happen without surgery. Consent is a conversation, not only a signature. Clarify whether the plan could change during the operation and why.
If the decision is not urgent, take time to involve family, seek a second opinion or ask for written information. Tell the team which outcome matters most to you.
- Purpose of surgery
- Alternatives
- Patient-specific risks
- Likely recovery
- Possibility of a changed plan
- Expected cost components
Medicines and health preparation
Provide a complete list of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, supplements and allergies. Blood thinners, diabetes medicines and some supplements require a specific plan; never stop them independently.
Share smoking or nicotine use, alcohol, sleep apnoea, dental infection, recent fever, pregnancy possibility and previous anaesthesia problems. Optimisation can reduce avoidable complications even if it changes the date.
- Medicine reconciliation
- Anaesthetic review
- Diabetes and blood-pressure control
- Smoking or nicotine plan
- Infection screening
- Nutrition and activity
The day before and day of surgery
Follow exact fasting instructions for food, clear fluids and medicines. Fasting longer than instructed is not necessarily safer. Confirm arrival time, identity documents, reports and whom to contact if illness develops.
Remove valuables as instructed and arrange an adult escort when sedation or anaesthesia affects driving and decision-making. Do not hide food intake or medicine use; the anaesthesia team needs accurate information.
- Written fasting time
- Medicines to take or hold
- Arrival and admission details
- Reports and consent documents
- Responsible adult and transport
- Contact for last-minute illness
Prepare the recovery environment
Plan meals, mobility, wound supplies, childcare, work leave and help at home. Move trip hazards and place frequently used items within reach when mobility will be limited.
Before discharge, obtain written medicine, wound, diet, activity and follow-up instructions. Know which symptoms are expected, which require a call and which require emergency care.
- Transport home
- Safe sleeping and bathroom access
- Food and hydration
- Help with dependants
- Prescription availability
- Follow-up appointment
Questions before discharge
Ask what happened during surgery, whether the plan changed, whether tissue was sent for pathology and when results will be reviewed. Confirm pain and nausea medicine, clot prevention, bathing, lifting, driving and return to work.
Keep the discharge summary and emergency contact accessible. Increasing pain, fever, wound discharge, persistent vomiting, chest pain, breathing difficulty or fainting needs prompt advice.
- Procedure performed
- Medicine schedule
- Wound care
- Activity milestones
- Urgent warning signs
- Named follow-up contact
Medical information is general and does not replace an individual consultation.