Report to the Day Surgery Unit ~ 1st Floor

The nurse will:

  • Go through a safety checklist with you.
  • Check your vital signs: blood pressure, temperature and pulse.
  • Ask you to change into a hospital gown.
  • Help you put on special elastic stockings to help blood to circulate better and prevent blood clots. You will wear these during your hospital stay.

Also:

  • You will meet your anaesthetic doctor, who will discuss the plan for your pain control and general anaesthetic. You will be asleep for your operation and in addition may be offered a spinal anaesthetic (injection in your lower back) to help with pain control after surgery. Further detailed information can be found here.
  • You will see your surgeon again to make sure you don’t have any other questions or concerns and to sign your consent form.
  • If required, a stoma nurse will mark a spot on your abdomen.

 

Immediately after your surgery

  • In surgery: it varies how long bowel surgery will take as each patient is individual, and a period of time will be spent in the theatre recovery suite after surgery.
  • You should restart breathing exercises as soon as you are awake after surgery in the theatre recovery suite.
  • After your operation you will return to the ward, or sometimes High Dependency Unit (HDU) if additional monitoring is needed.

 

Relatives

  • Please write the name and telephone number of your next of kin on the yellow operation booklet we have provided and your surgeon will endeavour to call them with an update after your surgery.