What to expect at your pre-op assessment
- Your observations will be taken (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate, oxygen levels, height, weight and BMI).
- Your medical and anaesthetic history will be taken by a nurse. This includes any medications you are currently taking. The nurse will identify any medications which require adjustments.
- Depending on your surgery, you may be given a prescription or some medications to use prior to your procedure.
- You will be given pre-operative advice which will include fasting instructions. These instructions can also be accessed in the leaflet below.
- You will be given some post-operative advice including how to prevent blood clots. More detailed advice for travellers — DVT prevention for travellers | Health topics A to Z | CKS | NICE
- You will be asked about your plans for transport home and who will care for you after the operation
- Depending on your planned surgery and medical history, further tests might be required. These may include bloods, swabs and an ECG.
- For certain operations or if you have a complex medical history, you may be required to see an anaesthetist. This appointment might be on the same day as your nurse appointment, or you may need to return for this at a later date.
- At your appointment, you may need to see other healthcare professionals such as nurse specialists, dieticians, physiotherapists, and speech and language therapists (SALT).
- Some Pre-Op Assessments can be completed over a telephone or video call. You may then require an appointment with our healthcare assistants (HCAs) to complete any outstanding tests. Our booking team will contact you to arrange this.
Following your Pre Op Assessment, your nurse or anaesthetist might refer you for further investigations to ensure it is safe to proceed. We will then establish when you are 'fit to proceed' so that you can be put forward for your surgery.
Leaflets
Preparing for Elective Surgery
Helping Prevent Blood Clots in Hospital