What to expect on the day of surgery ?

Some of the things that you may be asked to do to get yourself ready for your operation.

● A bath or shower before your operation will clean your skin and reduce the risk of infection. Make-up, body lotions or creams prevent heart monitor pads and dressings from sticking to your skin properly.
● You will be given a hospital gown to put on. You may like to wear your own dressing gown over this.
● You can keep your pants on as long as they will not get in the way of the operation.
Sometimes, you may be given paper pants.
● You can wear your glasses, hearing aids and dentures to go to the operating theatre. If you are having a general anaesthetic, you will probably need to remove them in the anaesthetic room to make sure they are not damaged or dislodged while you are anaesthetised. They will be
returned to you as soon as you want them. If you are not having a general anaesthetic, you can keep them in place.
● Jewellery and decorative piercing should ideally be removed. Bare metal against your skin could get snagged as you are moved. If you cannot remove your jewellery, it will need to be covered with tape to prevent damage to it or to your skin.
● If you are having a local or regional anaesthetic block, you can take a personal tape or CD player with you to listen to music through your headphones.
● A relative or friend may be able to go with you to the anaesthetic room. A parent will normally go with a child.
● Most people go to theatre on a bed or trolley. You may be able to choose to walk but this will depend on your general health, whether you have had a premed and how far the theatre is from your ward. If you are walking, you will need your dressing gown and slippers.