The Pre-Surgery Clinic is the place where we help our patients prepare for their scheduled surgeries. The purpose behind this is to provide a safe, supportive environment and ensure a positive and satisfying experience to the patient and their family, as well as being a suitable, surgery friendly environment for the surgeon and the nursing staff to execute the surgery.
At the Pre-Surgery Clinic, we take care of everything from the documentation to the pre-surgery tests. We also educate patients on post-surgery best practices to help them recover as smoothly as possible.
Before Surgery
The anesthesiologist examines the patient, noting down patient’s medical history, checking particularly for drug allergies and any previous anesthesia experiences. This information helps the anesthesiologist select optimal and safest anesthetic type and dosages.
Patients are usually taken to a preoperative or holding area before surgery and started on IV fluids. At this point some sedation may also be administered to ensure the patient is calm and relaxed.
Fasting Instructions
Each patient will be advised according to their special situation but a general rule is that an 8 hours gap should be allowed between the last meal and most types of surgery. Some patients must fast longer, for instance people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), those with gastric paresis (paralysis of the stomach that can occur in people who have diabetes), as should people undergoing gastric or intestinal surgeries. Such individuals have an increased risk of vomiting and aspiration during surgery and will generally be instructed to fast for a longer than average period.