When will my surgery be scheduled?
Waiting for an appointment varies according to the type of operation.
The summoning letter with the time of the operation and other detailed information will be sent to you by post, after a doctor verifies your appointment and based on urgency.
Preparations before surgery
As the operation time approaches, in case it involves general anesthesia, and in other cases depending on the type of operation, you will be invited for a preliminary assessment to a pre-surgery clinic.
During your visit, you will be checked by a nurse, meet a doctor and be examined by an anesthesiologist. The purpose of the meeting with the surgeon is to determine the need for surgery, the type of surgery and for briefing about the procedure.
Please, report to your doctor any drug you may be taking regularly, and any sensitivity to drugs, food or other substances you may have. During the meeting, after receiving an explanation, you will be asked to sign a surgery agreement form.
The purpose of the examination by an anesthesiologist is to assess your readiness for surgery and plan the type of anesthesia suitable for you. The decision will be based on the information in your medical file, results of tests that you will be asked to bring with you, a physical examination and a conversation with you. The anesthesiologist will prescribe sedatives to be administered on the eve of the surgery or on the same day.
During the meeting, you will be asked to sign an acquiescence form for anesthesia.
Very important! Please bring along all the test results that are specified in your invitation letter. Arriving without this information can result in postponement of the operation.
Types of anesthesia
General anesthesia – this induces deep sleep and no pain is experienced.
Epidural or spinal anesthesia – this causes loss of sensation in part of the body. You remain fully conscious, but do not experience pain.
Local or regional anesthesia – this causes loss of sensation in the area where the operation is carried out. No pain is experienced.
Admittance day – starting hospitalization
On arrival to the hospital, you must start the admittance process at the reception office on the ground floor, and thereafter go up to the department to which you were summoned.
Nursing and medical admittance
A department's nurse will see you for an introductory talk and for receiving information from you regarding your health condition, your daily functioning, your habits and your close family members. You will be asked to provide your precise address and to note whom should be contacted with important messages or in urgent circumstances, including their phone number. During the meeting, the nurse will collect the tests and imaging results. If you suffer a wound or some local inflammation, please report them to prevent acquired inflammations. Subsequently, you will be accepted by a doctor.
Briefing by a nurse
A nurse with the department will guide you in the process of preparation on the eve of the surgery and on surgery day. They will elaborate on the transfer to the operating room, the stay in the recovery room, the process of the operation and its aftermath, the medical devices that will be connected to you during the procedure and the pain management policy.
The physical preparation varies according to the type of operation.
Preparation for surgery
The stages of preparing for surgery, overseen by a nurse, include full body wash, hair wash and nail polish removal. On the eve or the day of the operation, one should bathe thoroughly and wash one's hair. After washing, a clean pajama should be worn.
- Hair removal in the area of operation – some procedures require the removal of hair. Mostly, hair removal is done with a special cream. After applying it, you should wait 5-8 minutes (according to the manufacturer's instructions), then wash it with water and clean the treated area. This is done by you.
- Fasting – from midnight before the operation no food and drinks should be consumed – total fasting.
- Pain treatment – you will be instructed by the nurse about painkillers.
- Sedatives – these will be given based on the anesthesiologist's recommendation.
- Valuables – we recommend leaving valuables and money at home. You can deposit these in the reception office's safe, but the hospital will not be responsible for them.
- ID tag – do not remove the identification tag on your wrist. It is intended to identify you during anesthesia and other medical procedures.
- Smoking – it advisable to stop smoking at least a few days before surgery.
- Further preparatory actions (according on the type of operation) - drinking a laxative solution (on the eve of the operation), using enema for purging the bowels, inserting an IV catheter, navel cleaning, administering antibiotics.
Surgery day
You will be given an approximate time for your transfer to the operating room. This time can change in case of another urgent operation or an unexpected delay in the operation before yours. If that happens, the department's team will notify you.
The team maintain constant contact with the operating room and will do whatever they can for you.
In case the operation is on a paired organ, the surgeon will mark the correct organ on the skin.
You should remove makeup, nail polish, hair pins, jewelry, dentures, contact lenses, hearing aids etc.
On the operating room's notice, you will be dressed in a gown and be asked to remain in bed. A nurse will administer sedatives, to help you relax. You should not leave your bed after taking the medication.
If you need anything, please call the nurse using the bell button near you bed.
You will be taken to the operating room by a hospital attendant.
Your relatives can visit you on the day of your surgery and accompany you to the operating room. At this stage, the nurse will give them your ID number. This number appears on a screen in the waiting hall by the operating room, and your relatives will know what stage of the operation you are undergoing. Moreover, a volunteer will come out to the waiting hall and report to your family the course of the operation and the time of your transfer to the recovery area.
In the operating room
Most surgeries take place in the main operating room on the first floor. The rest are performed at the daycare hospital on the lower ground level. Anesthesia is carried out by an anesthesiologist who works in full coordination with the surgeon. The anesthesiologist monitors you during the entire operation.
The team at the operating room all wear gray-blue clothes, and their faces are covered with surgical masks. The room is air-conditioned and therefore it is cold.
The duration of the surgery is determined by its type, its complexity and the condition of the patient.
Recovery room
Following the operation, you will be transferred to a recovery room. Occasionally, after big and complex operations, patients are transferred to a respiratory intensive care unit.
In the recovery unit, you will be monitored by a nursing and medical team. During your stay at the recovery unit, you will be connected to a heart monitor to track your cardiac activity, and your blood pressure and pulse will be recorded.
Once you recuperate from anesthesia, you may feel dryness in the mouth, thirst, cold, discomfort and heaviness. You may also fall back to sleep intermittently. The team at the recovery unit will take care to moisten your lips and to cover you with blankets.
At the end of the surgery, the surgeon will update your family on how the surgery went.
