Patient Information

Naturally, you will have many questions about your upcoming surgery. To help you with these, we have put together a list of the questions that we are frequently asked by patients.

Do I need to shave the area of my surgery?
Do I need to fast?

For morning surgery, Do Not Eat or Drink anything after midnight the night before surgery unless otherwise instructed. This includes coffee, tea, water, and juice! Medication with a small sip of water is OK. For afternoon surgery, a small breakfast BEFORE 7AM is OK, and nothing after that. Your surgery may be cancelled if you do not follow these
instructions.
Should I shower at home first?
- Please shower at home the evening before surgery, or in the morning
- Please do not shave the surgical site! This will be done for you if necessary. Shaving yourself increases the risk of infection
- For morning surgery, do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery unless otherwise instructed. This includes coffee, tea, water, and juice. Taking your medication with a small sip of water is ok
- For afternoon surgery, a small breakfast BEFORE 7AM is OK, and nothing after that. Your surgery may be cancelled if you do not follow these instructions
- Do not drink alcoholic beverages 24 hours prior to your surgery
- Do not smoke for 4 weeks before surgery or your risk of serious complications increases
- Ask your surgeon if you are permitted to take your routine medications (such as those for heart, blood pressure, or insulin etc.) before arriving for surgery
- Do not bring valuables such as money, jewellery etc. Do not wear make-up
- Bring toiletries and loose fitting, comfortable clothing to wear upon discharge
- You will be required to remove contact lenses, jewellery, dentures, and wigs
- Arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home after discharge
- Notify your us if there is a change in your condition prior to surgery (such as a cold, cough, fever or infection). If severe, your surgery may need to be postponed for your safety
- Stop all herbal medications 4 weeks before surgery unless discussed beforehand
Alcohol
Herbal Medications
Showering & Pre Op Body Wash

Please shower at home the evening before surgery, or in the morning
Often patients are provided with a pre op wash to thoroughly cleanse and disinfect their skin prior to your operation. Depending on what your surgeon has recommended, either Chlorhexidine Pre-Op Wash or Triclosan 1% w/v Pre-Op Wash Liquid Soap helps reduce the micro-organisms which live on healthy skin. You should use a clean sponge or flannel to assist you in washing your WHOLE body thoroughly. Follow instructions set out below.
Steps 1–8 can be achieved by using one entire tube. Discard any unused portion.
STEP 1
Wet whole face, body and hair in the shower or bath.
STEP 2
Apply a small amount of Pre-Op Wash to wet hair. Lather well and rinse.
STEP 3
Apply a small amount of Pre-Op Wash, undiluted, to your face. Pay special attention to the NOSE area. Avoid contact with the eyes (shut lids tightly). Rinse with water.
STEP 4
Work down to NECK and ARMS. Pay special attention to the UNDERARMS and NAVEL. Using a sponge can assist.
STEP 5
Now cleanse the GENITAL area, BUTTOCKS and anal area with the sponge and Pre-Op Wash.
Men: Special attention to penis and beneath the scrotum.
Women: Special attention to the skin folds of the vulva.
STEP 6
Work down cleansing your THIGHS and LEGS.
STEP 7
Rinse your entire body.
STEP 8
Now wash your whole body again working down from the face (NOSE), ARMPITS, NAVEL, GENITAL area, ANAL region and BUTTOCKS especially. It is important to consume the entire tube to achieve best results.
STEP 9
Rinse your entire body.
STEP 10
Dry yourself thoroughly with a freshly laundered towel. Freshly washed clean clothes should be worn afterwards.
Smoking & Surgery

Smoking will impact your body before and after surgery regardless of the type of procedure you have. We recommend that all surgical patients abstain from smoking for as long as possible before and after surgery.
Smokers require special consideration and treatment when undergoing surgery. The effects of smoking-related diseases increase both anesthetic risks, as well as risks of complications during surgery and recovery.
Conversely, anesthesia is safer and more predictable in nonsmokers due to better functioning of the heart, blood vessels, lungs and nervous systems.
The earlier you quit, the greater your chances are of avoiding surgery-related complications. It is especially important not to smoke on the day of your surgery. Fortunately, the body begins to heal within hours of quitting. Twelve hours after a person quits, his or her heart and lungs already begin to function better as nicotine and carbon monoxide levels drop. It takes less than a day for blood flow to improve, which reduces the likelihood of post-operative complications. We recommend patients abstain from smoking for as long as possible before and after surgery, but even quitting for a brief period is still beneficial.
Medications to Avoid Before & After Surgery
Ask your surgeon if you are permitted to take your regular medications (such as those for heart, blood pressure, or insulin etc.) before arriving for surgery.
Some medications that increase the chances that you will bleed excessively after surgery include:
- Aspirin/Disprin. In some cases, we may recommend stopping your aspirin 1 week before surgery. In others cases, low-dose aspirin may be continued based on your medical condition. Please discuss with your surgeon.
- Warfarin (also known by the brand names Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, Uniwarfin) discuss this with the prescriber and your surgeon as to the best time to stop this medication before surgery.
- Celebrex- stop 1 week prior to surgery.
- Ibuprofen (also known as Nurofen, Advil, Herron Blue and Panafen) – stop 1 week prior to surgery
- Naprosyn (also known as Aleve and Naproxen) – stop 1 week prior to surgery
- Plavix – discuss this with the prescriber as to the best time to stop this medication before surgery
- Some over-the-counter herbs can also affect bleeding. These include chondroitin, dan shen, feverfew, garlic tablets, ginger tablets, ginkgo, ginseng, and quilinggao and fish oil.
After surgery, you should avoid all anti-inflammatory medications including those listed above and any other prescription anti-inflammatories, unless your surgeon prescribes them. Do not resume these medications until your doctor says that it is okay.
What should I bring to my surgery?
Driving

You should not drive any vehicle (including riding a bicycle) for at least 24 hours after a general anaesthetic. We do not permit people driving with alcohol in their blood. Similarly, you should be certain that all sedative drugs have been eliminated from your body before attempting to drive.
Most facilities require that you be accompanied by a responsible adult, who either drives you home or accompanies you in a taxi. This person or another adult should stay with you for the first night.
We also advise all patients not to drive motor vehicles, operate machinery or make important personal or business decisions for at least 24 hours. This is because of any residual effects of drugs which might interfere with your ability to make decisions.

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