We usually feel anxious and anxious before going to the hospital for surgery. So it's good to know what awaits you to calm your nerves and prepare properly. To avoid the risk of infection, get vaccinated against hepatitis B. Prepare medical records of your illness. You also have the right to choose a specific surgeon to perform the operation.

Before you end up inhospital , there are a few things you should take care of. Thanks to this, once you reach the emergency room, nothing will surprise you and will not delay the plannedoperation .

Before going to the hospital for surgery

Ask your doctor to explain exactly why the procedure is necessary and what it will involve. The doctor should also inform about possible complications. A surgeon's intervention always carries certain risks, regardless of whether it will be laparoscopic or traditional. If your surgery is planned, you will be able to fulfill all previous doctor's recommendations and collect the necessary documentation. What's most important: Get vaccinated - everyone who enters the hands of the surgeon should be vaccinated against hepatitis B ( hepatitis B ). A stay in a hospital increases the risk of contracting a dangerous virus:

  • If there are at least 6 weeks left to surgery, you are vaccinated twice (you repeat one month after the first dose). You can go to the hospital for the procedure 2 weeks after receiving the second dose of the vaccine (the third, last dose - six months after the first dose).
  • If the procedure is urgent, you also vaccinate, but in a different mode, which will be announced by the doctor. Although the body will not have time to produce the full amount of antibodies, even this smaller amount may be sufficient protection against infection.
  • If you got vaccinated against hepatitis B more than 5 years ago, be sure to have your blood tested for anti-HBS antibodies (you can do the test for free with a referral). If your antibody titer is high, you don't need to vaccinate again.
You must do it

Take important documents

At the hospital emergency room, you will need to provide certain documents. A referral to a hospital is required,issued at the request of a specialist by a primary care physician in your clinic. You should also have an identity card and proof of insurance with you, e.g. a stamped insurance booklet (or RMUA form, issued by your workplace).

Prepare medical records- you will need it when you get to the hospital. The most important are the results of laboratory tests (performed no later than one month before the planned procedure): blood count with the percentage formula of white blood cells, blood group and glucose level measurements, ionogram, coagulation tests (prothrombin index, platelets, INR) and general urine test. Even if in the hospital they want to do these tests again, it is better to have the results of the previous ones with you (if only for comparison). In addition to the laboratory results, you should also have a chest X-ray (from the last year) and an ECG (required if you are over forty). Also take the results of other specialized tests to the hospital, e.g. ultrasound, ECG, EEG, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (even if they were performed a few years earlier).

Pack your personal belongings- prepare slippers, shower slippers, soap, toothbrush and paste, cream, deodorant, toilet seat pads; you will also need towels, a bathrobe, pajamas or a shirt (most hospitals offer these to patients, but it is certainly more pleasant to carry your own). You can also take a few small bottles of water (preferably with a dispenser), your favorite tea, a mug, and possibly cutlery. If you want to take your cell phone with you, don't forget the charger.Make a he alth examination of conscience- remember what diseases and surgeries you have had in the past (if you were in hospital, the doctor will want to see your discharge). The doctor will also be interested in what diseases occur among your closest relatives. You should also mention if you are allergic, especially to antibiotics, painkillers, plasters and certain foods. Also tell your doctor if you have had hepatitis B or C or are HIV positive.Pack your medications- write down the names of any medications you are currently taking, even if they are herbs or dietary supplements. You must take all medications with you to the hospital. Your doctor will ask you about them during the consultation that will take place after your admission to the hospital. You leave the medication bag with the nurse. You will get all the necessary pharmacological agents (if the doctor orders it) from her. You should not take any tablets on your own while you are in hospital.Choose a surgeon- you have onethe right to ask the head of the surgical ward to be operated on by a selected doctor whom you trust. The decision on who performs the operation is made by the head of the clinic. However, it may happen that you have to wait a long time for the doctor you choose, and your he alth does not allow it. Then the head doctor appoints someone else for the procedure. Take care of urgent home matters - do it before going to the hospital, so that, for example, an unpaid gas bill does not bother you when you should rest and collect after the surgery. strength.

Before performing a test, e.g. a colonoscopy, ask your doctor which of the available laxatives you should take.

Important

When you are after the treatment

  • After the surgery you will feel better every hour, but if you experience a strong reaction to the anesthetic, such as nausea or dizziness, ask for a doctor. Also inform him about any ailments, shortness of breath or problems with urinating.
  • After the surgery, you should be informed about how long the procedure lasted and how it went. If there are complications, you need to know about it too. It is also important to know what to do to avoid future problems.
  • When leaving the hospital home, take the so-called extract. This is an important document that you should show your GP during your next visit and keep it later. It contains the name of the medical condition you have been hospitalized for, as well as a detailed description of the medical procedures, along with a list of all medications used. In addition to reports on the course of therapy, the excerpt also includes recommendations for the future - medications and necessary follow-up examinations (eg thyroid ultrasound in 6 months). You should also receive an envelope with all test results.

When you enter the hospital

Take your first steps to the emergency room. After returning your clothes and shoes, you will change into pajamas and a bathrobe. Then a doctor will see you - he will conduct a medical interview with you and fill in the appropriate form. Then you will come to the ward, where the nurse will show you the room in which you will lie. What else should you remember so that nothing will surprise you?Consent for surgery- this is a document that must be signed on the day of surgery. If a minor is to be operated on, the consent is signed by the parents.Participation in a clinical trial- you can receive such an offer when you are in a research facility (Medical Academy clinic). Typically, research is testing new drugs or treatments. Participation in the medical experiment is completely voluntary, so you can say no. If you want to useof the proposal, you will sign a consent to participate in the program. Type of anesthesia - the doctor should inform you about the type of anesthetic he will use during the operation. The decision is up to him and the anesthesiologist, but you can ask for an anesthetic if you are concerned that another type of anesthesia will not provide you with the full sense of security and comfort.Remember about dentures- if you have one (full or partial), remove and store it before surgery. Leaving it in the mouth could be an obstacle during intubation and cause choking. Tell your attending physician who will represent your interests in the hospital - this person will be the liaison between the doctor and your family and they will be informed about the course of the operation and details related to your he alth.

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