Here you will find information relating to the day of pre-assessment.
How long will my appointment take?
Your appointment with the pre-assessment nurse will take around 45 minutes. If you are coming to clinic to also see a consultant anaesthetist, please allow for up to two hours in the hospital.
Not everyone needs to be seen in clinic. Depending on your procedure, you may not need to be seen or some pre-assessments can be held over the telephone, but this will be decided by your consultant.
What to bring with you/have ready for telephone call
- Prescriptions and any over the counter medicines or supplements you use
- Information regarding:
- Allergies
- your medical history including:
- when you were diagnosed
- current treatment
- any recent changes
- You will be asked about previous surgeries, the dates and where they took place.
- You will be asked if you or a member of your family has ever had a bad reaction to an anaesthetic whether this is:
- Vomiting
- that you were slow to wake up
- cold
- something more serious such as
- a small airway
- difficulty opening your mouth or moving your neck
- Bring any paperwork with you regarding the above, the more information we have about these things the better prepared we can be on the day of your surgery
- A relative or carer can accompany you, especially if you think you will have difficulties providing information about yourself or if you think you will not remember what information you are given
- Let us know in advance if an interpreter is needed
Please eat and drink and ensure that you take your medication/inhalers as normal before attending your pre-op assessment appointment.
How to prepare for your surgery:
Make an appointment with your GP or Practice Nurse for a health check to find out your:
- height
- weight
- blood pressure,
- Heart function (ECG),
- blood tests for
- kidney function
- anaemia
- diabetes, liver and thyroid function too if you are on medication for these
You should do this as soon as you know you are going to have surgery. Do not wait for a surgery date to do this.
Discuss with them any long term conditions that you have and confirm if they are well controlled.
Make an appointment with your dentist if you have any loose teeth or crowns to reduce the risk of further damage during a general anaesthetic.
Prehabilitation
Do I need to make any lifestyle changes?
Stop smoking
Take a short questionnaire to see how dependent you are on smoking.
Find out what aids are available to help you stop smoking.
Read NHS guidance to find out more about what services are available to assist you.
Reduce your alcohol intake
Take a short questionnaire to see if you have a reliance on alcohol.
For more information regarding alcohol intake, the risks of increased alcohol intake, see the NHS website.
Healthy eating
Body Mass Index (BMI) uses your height, weight, ethnicity and sex to calculate if you are at a healthy weight, underweight, overweight or obese - find out what your BMI is using the BMI calculator.
If you are overweight or obese you are at more risk of complications during and after surgery. NHS guidance is available to help you improve your diet and encourage exercise to reduce your BMI for surgery.
Exercises
Mental Health and Anxiety
Knowing that you need to have an operation whether minor or major surgery can have a negative impact on your mental health.
- Recognise any signs of anxiety
- Talk to friends and family your concerns/worry
Information on how to practice mindfulness in available on the NHS website.
Information is available from The Royal College of Anaesthetists on how to prepare mentally for your surgery.
Last reviewed: 13 November 2023