PREPARING FOR YOUR SURGERY
What do you need to do to prepare for your surgery?
Once you have all the required information and decide to proceed with surgery the next step is to discuss a treatment plan with Dr. David and his staff.
Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have potentially fewer problems. Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result.
Working with Dr. Love
Before surgery, Dr. Love will perform a complete physical examination to make sure you don’t have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or the outcomes. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed a week before any major surgery.
Dr. Love and his team will discuss with you:
- Any medications you are taking – Consult with your GP to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery
- Options for preparing for potential blood replacement, including donating your own blood, medical interventions and other treatments prior to surgery
- If you are overweight, losing weight before surgery will help decrease the stress you place on your new joint. However, you should not diet during the month before your surgery
- If you are taking any anti-inflammatory medications that increase the risk of bleeding you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimise bleeding
- If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your surgery risks and improve your recovery
- Have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later
- Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron
- Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared up
- Arrange for someone to help out with everyday tasks like cooking, shopping and laundry
- Put items that you use often within easy reach before surgery
- Remove all loose carpets and tape down electrical cords at home to avoid falls
- Make sure you have a stable chair ready for after your operation.
Getting ready for day surgery
If you are having day surgery, please remember the following:
- Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours
- Do Not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home – The combination of anaesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting
- After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat. Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours
- If you’ve had surgery on your leg, knee, hand or elbow keep that extremity elevated and use ice as directed to help decrease swelling and pain
- Take your pain medicine as directed – Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty controlling the pain.
