A pre–operative assessment (Pre-Op) is an appointment where your fitness for surgery and anaesthesia is assessed. This involves a nurse asking about your health, fitness, past operations, medications and hospital admissions. This assessment can be carried out over the telephone or in a clinic.
It also involves recording your height, weight, blood pressure and performing tests such as MRSA swabs, Covid19 swab, blood tests and possible other tests such as a tracing of your heart.
The appointment gives you the opportunity to ask questions and allows us to give you information relating to your surgery, anaesthetic, medication, admission and discharge.
The pre- operative assessment department refers patients to health promotion services such as smoking cessation, alcohol liaison service, dietician, diabetes centre and GP.
Patients are referred for expert opinions from, cardiology, respiratory, neurology, endocrinology and learning disability service.
Interpreter services for most languages from our in house service and external agencies this includes BSL and assistance for the blind such as pathway co-ordinator and volunteer service.
Pre-operative assessment refer patients to specialist nurses, breast care service, colorectal, vascular, urology, cancer services and Maggie’s centre.
If a patient presents high risk for anaesthesia the patient will have an appointment made with a Consultant anaesthetist for risk discussion and recommendations such as further clinical tests and for optimisation. The major vascular patients see a Consultant Physician with special interest with vascular for optimisation of health in preparation for surgery.
Programmed Investigation Units assist pre-operative clinic with pre op blood transfusions and monofer infusions.
Liaise with Consultant microbiologist for urology patients regarding recurrent infections and best management.
Investigations from outside of the department include pulmonary function test/spirometry/ sleep studies, Echocardiograms TOE and DSE prior to the pandemic CPET testing.
We can offer Covid-19 Vaccination in accordance to National guidance at our hospital vaccination hub.
Patients should bring all the medications that they are currently taking or an up to date prescription to their pre-operative appointment. This includes any tablets, inhalers, liquids, eye drops etc. Please also tell the nurse if you take any over the counter or herbal medications, the contraceptive pill or inform the nurse of any medication implants.
For admission patients will have a confirmation letter with specific starving instructions, and instructions to have a shower and after the shower on the morning of surgery they are informed not to apply any form of body products, remove jewellery (rings can be tapped over) bring into to the hospital all their current medications, they will have specific medication advice from the pre-op nurse to follow, if the patient is for day surgery they will be advised they need a responsible adult to collect them after their surgery and remain with them for 24 hours, they will be informed which hospital site and to bring dressing gown and slippers with them.
If the patient is going to be an inpatient they bring wash bag, oral hygiene and nightclothes as well as their medication.
Visiting is currently restricted due to the Pandemic.
Pre-Operative Assessment clinic D3 ward
Patients are referred directly by the nurses to GP’s via NHS.net email or via ALS (automated letter service)
Consultant Anaesthetist refers directly to another Speciality Consultant within the Trust and external.
Also refer to the anaesthetic Anaphylaxis/Allergy clinic.