Preparing for surgery: what to expect before the procedure

Every procedure is preceded by an examination. The surgeon reviews your existing records, carries out a clinical examination and weighs the options with you, including waiting with the procedure or not having it at all. Surgery is not performed straight after the examination. A date is only agreed once all the necessary results are known and you agree with the proposed plan.

The most useful part of this conversation is what you bring with you. Reports of previous tests and imaging, an identity document and your health insurance card, and above all an exact list of all your medicines with doses. Mention blood-thinning medicines, medicines for diabetes and dietary supplements in particular. Some must be paused before the procedure, but only on the doctor’s instructions and never on your own. Also mention allergies to medicines, latex or disinfectants, as well as previous operations and any complications with anaesthesia.

Before larger procedures, additional tests are needed: lab tests, an electrocardiogram, imaging if necessary, and an anaesthetic assessment. This assessment is not a formality. It determines the type of anaesthesia and what happens with your regular medicines that morning, meaning which ones you take with a sip of water and which you do not.

The instruction to come fasting has a more precise meaning than it seems. As a rule it means several hours without food and a shorter period without clear fluids before the procedure; you will get the exact times from the provider that carries out the procedure, and its instructions apply. If you have eaten or drunk anything contrary to the instructions, you must say so. The procedure may be rescheduled because of it, which is a much smaller problem than a complication during anaesthesia.

Minor procedures under local anaesthetic are different from larger ones. You are awake, the area is numbed and you go home the same day; sometimes the procedure is even done during the same visit. Larger procedures need pre-operative preparation and agreement on where they will be carried out. Medicinski center Ljubljana offers abdominal surgery, thoracic surgery, a neurosurgery clinic, varicose vein treatment and a minor procedures clinic; for thoracic surgery, the examination and consultation take place here, while lung and oesophageal operations are carried out by Kirurgija Bitenc on the premises of Klinika Golnik.

It makes sense to prepare a few things at home before you go for the procedure. Arrange for someone to take you home, as you must not drive after anaesthesia or a sedative. Arrange for someone to be available for the first day or two. Prepare food in advance and move the things you use every day within reach, so that you do not have to bend or climb. If the procedure is on your leg, get crutches and remove rugs you could trip over. Also sort out the paperwork for sick leave and care for children or pets.

After the procedure you receive instructions for wound care and stitch removal, and you are told what to watch out for. Spreading redness, increasing pain, fever, discharge from the wound or sudden swelling and pain in the leg are reasons for immediate advice, not for waiting for the follow-up appointment. If you have sudden severe chest pain or difficulty breathing, call 112.

Surgical examinations at the centre are self-pay, so you do not need a referral. Booking is managed by the provider that runs the clinic, via the link on the page of each clinic.