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There are certain protocols which have to be followed while undergoing any surgical procedure. After consulting the specialist in his/her office, the doctor generally advises some tests which have to be done before the procedure. These include blood tests, X rays, ultrasound and other relevant investigations. These are done to get all possible information about the medical condition and to determine the overall fitness of the body for the surgery. The tests can be done in the outpatient department and patients can check their reports online. Patients are given the date for admission/surgery once the test results are out.
The general instructions for patients before undergoing any elective surgical procedure include-
The patients are usually asked to report to the hospital in the morning time on the day of their scheduled surgery. Sometimes, in cases of major procedures and/or patients with pre existing medical problems, patients are admitted a day prior to their procedure for optimisation and proper preoperative preparation. Patients are required to come fasting in case of surgeries under regional/general anaesthesia.
Patients should report to the hospital with a set of comfortable clean clothes and basic toiletries at the time of admission to the hospital.
Depending upon the type of procedure, most elective surgeries require a hospitalisation ranging from 1-2 days. Major procedures and emergency surgeries may require a longer hospitalisation time to ensure a proper observation and recovery of the patient.
The hospital has a policy of one attendant per person at the time of admission. Visitors are allowed only during the specific visiting hours and should leave once the timings are over.
In cases of patients having health insurance, they need to check with the TPA desk whether the hospital is empanelled with their insurance/TPA company. Most elective and emergency surgeries barring few cosmetic procedures are covered under all major health insurance policies after a specified lock in period.
In case of cash patients, they can avail EMI facility for payment if they are using a credit/debit card. The payment plan can be customised for 6 ,12 or 18 months depending upon the convenience of the patient.
The duration of surgical procedure depends upon the specific type of surgery and some patient related factors. Most elective procedures are completed within 60-90 minutes although supra major surgeries and intra operative challenges may increase the duration of the case.
All surgeries are performed under some kind of anaesthesia to minimise pain and discomfort. Minor procedures are generally performed under local anaesthesia in which a numbing solution is injected at the site of surgery. Major procedures are performed under regional or general anaesthesia in which patients do not feel any pain during the surgery. Post operatively, pain killer injections help ameliorate the pain and tablets are continued after discharge from the hospital till complete recovery.
In most elective cases, the patients are shifted back to their room after a brief stay in the recovery area post operatively. Patients having pre existing cardio pulmonary conditions or those who have had unexpected blood loss or intra operative complications may be required to stay in the ICU for one or more days till the time all vital parameters become stable.
Patients are generally allowed to take clear liquids within 4-6 hours of undergoing any routine elective surgery. They can take a soft diet on the next day and are generally discharged on the advice to take light easily digestible diet for 7-10 days after their procedure.
Patients are allowed to take bath after 48 hours of most elective and laparoscopic surgeries. They are generally discharged with water proof dressings which allow the convenience to take a bath without removing the dressings. Even in care of normal dressings, they can be removed after 2 days and a bath with soap and water can be taken. The wounds just need to be kept clean and dry to avoid infection.
Stitches are generally removed 7-10 days after any surgical procedure. In some cases, absorbable sutures are used which do not require removal.
In most cases of uneventful recovery, a person can resume their work and normal activities within a week of their surgical procedure.
Patients are usually called for follow up after a period of 7-10 days of discharge from the hospital. The wounds are inspected and the stitches are removed at this time. Further follow up is determined based on the medical condition of the patient and the particular surgery done.
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