Pre-operative assessment
Once you and your Consultant have decided that an operation/procedure is necessary, you will be invited to attend the pre-operative assessment clinic either at University Hospital Ayr or University Hospital Crosshouse. Your assessment will be carried out before surgery to ensure your health is the best it can be.
We do not have access to diaries or waiting lists and cannot give you your surgery date; this will be provided to you by your Consultant’s secretary.
Your pre-op assessment is valid for approximately 6 months, but may vary depending on individual circumstances.
It is important that you inform us of any changes to your health and/or medications between your pre-op assessment and admission in order to reduce the risk of cancellation on the day of surgery.
Preparing for your appointment
You will receive a letter with your appointment date, time and location. If this date or time is unsuitable, please contact us as soon as possible to allow us adequate time to reschedule this for you. If you do not attend this appointment without contacting us, your surgery may be cancelled.
Transport to and from this appointment should be arranged by yourself.
If you require interpreting services please notify us in advance of your appointment.
Please arrive on time – you can expect to be in the clinic for 60-90 minutes, sometimes longer.
Eat, drink and take your medications as normal on the day of your clinic appointment
What to bring with you
Any medication you are taking including herbal – please ensure they are in their original containers
A note of any allergies you may have
A note of any questions you want to ask
You can bring someone with you for support
What happens at the pre-op assessment clinic?
Not everyone needs to attend for a face to face appointment so we may contact you by telephone in the first instance to identify those patients who need to come in person.
You will see some or all of the following healthcare professionals during your appointment:
- Clerical staff will welcome you
- Healthcare assistant
- Nurse Practitioner
- Anaesthetist
- Students (Medical and Nursing)
- Pharmacist
- Physiotherapist
- Surgeon
We will ask you questions about your medical history, health and lifestyle and carry out investigations/tests to give us more information about:
- whether you have any medical problems that might need to be treated before surgery
- whether you might need special care during or after surgery
- the risk of anything going wrong, so these risks can be discussed with you
- 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.
The tests you will need depend mainly on your health and the type of anaesthetic / surgery you’re having.
You may have the following tests / investigations:
- Blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels
- Height and weight
- Physical examination where the nurse practitioner will listen into your heart and lungs
- Urine analysis
- Blood tests
- Electrocardiogram (ECG which is a tracing of your heart rate and rhythm)
- Swabs
Depending on the results of these tests we may ask you to attend for further investigations prior to your operation. If you are found to be medically unfit for a general anaesthetic we will ensure you fully understand the reasons and will liaise with your surgical team and your GP regarding alternative options.
You will have a chance to ask questions and we will explain how you can prepare for your operation and what to expect on the day as well as planning for your discharge home following surgery.
Fasting instructions
You will be given instructions about fasting when you attend for your pre-operative assessment.
After your pre-op assessment
Try to keep yourself well while you wait for surgery. This can include:-
- reducing / stopping smoking
- cutting down your alcohol intake
- maintaining / increasing your level of physical activity
- eating a healthy diet
- getting your weight to a healthy level
The following links offer help and support with the above while you wait for your surgery
Preparing for Surgery | The Royal College of Anaesthetists
Preparing your body | Centre for Perioperative Care
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/having-surgery/preparation
Preparing for surgery – Fitter Better Sooner | The Royal College of Anaesthetists (rcoa.ac.uk)
Please note we try to do your pre-op assessment as far in advance of surgery as possible to give you and us a chance to improve your health and wellbeing beforehand. Coming for your pre-op assessment doesn’t always mean you will be getting a date for surgery in the next few weeks.
If you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection please do not attend your pre-op appointment, contact us on the numbers below to reschedule your appointment.
University Hospital Crosshouse 01563 825004
University Hospital Ayr 01292 614025
What is a reasonable offer of appointment?
You will be offered up to two dates of appointment for each stage of your journey.
For example, if you require an outpatient appointment, you may be offered up to two different dates. If you then require treatment, you will be offered up to a further two dates.
You must consider all reasonable offers of appointment and make every effort to agree to these.
An offer of appointment is reasonable if:
- You are given at least 10 calendar days’ notice.
- It is at any location across NHSScotland clinically appropriate for your needs.
- You are provided with a date to attend your appointment (not location only).
- You consent to the mode of contact used to communicate with you around your appointment offer (for example video or phone)
- It is offered to you before or after the 12 week Treatment Time Guarantee date.
- It is at short notice (less than 10 calendar days), and you are able to accept.