Which hospital will I attend for my surgery?
If you have had your pre-operative assessment appointment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, it is likely that this is where you will have your surgery. You will be admitted to one of the below:
- Admissions Lounge
- Ambulatory Care
- Short Stay Unit
If you have had your pre-operative assessment appointment at Solihull Hospital, you will be admitted to either:
- Solihull Hospital Admissions Unit
- Heartlands Hospital, Heartlands Treatment Centre (HTC), or
- Good Hope Hospital Day Surgery Unit
You will receive a letter from the booking team or secretary along with a text to your mobile phone with the location, date and time of your surgery. Please follow any written instructions that have been given to you in pre-operative assessment regarding your normal medications.
You may have been asked to stop medication for up to a week before your operation, or instructed to not take some of your medication on the day. This can be confusing and difficult to remember, which is why we give you written instructions at your pre-operative assessment appointment. If you have not been instructed to stop any medication, please take it on the day of surgery with a sip of water.
Please follow the written instructions in your appointment letter regarding eating and drinking before your operation. If you have been told to attend the hospital in the morning:
- Please do not eat anything after midnight. No sweets or chewing gum. You may drink water, black tea, black coffee (no milk) until 06:00, and sips of water after 06:00, unless specifically instructed not to at pre-assessment
If you have been told to attend the hospital at 11:00 or later:
- You may have a light breakfast before 07:00. No food, sweets or chewing gum after this time. You can drink water, black tea, black coffee (no milk) until 11:00, and sips of water after 11:00, unless specifically told not to at pre-assessment
We may not be able to tell you a date for your surgery if one has not been arranged yet. The order of operating lists are determined by patients' underlying health conditions, equipment required for procedures, post-operative bed availability and staffing levels. As such we will be unable to tell you at your pre-operative assessment an exact time that you will go to theatre but will not keep you waiting longer than necessary.
What is an anaesthetic?
An anaesthetic causes a loss of sensation and is used for pain relief, to numb areas of the body for certain tests and surgery as well as to induce sleep.
The anaesthetic you have depends on the type of surgery you are having, and your health.
Information regarding the different anaesthetics, such as local, sedation, spinal, GA and nerve block can be found on The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCOA) website.
Information regarding recovery from an anaesthetic can also be found on the RCOA website, and will explain why we ask for you to be picked up by a friend or relative, and have an adult stay with you overnight.
What are the risks of general anaesthesia?
It is the role of your surgeon to explain the risks of surgery with you and the anaesthetist to explain the risks of an anaesthetic. The risks differ depending on your weight, health and length of surgery.
Please see the risk infographic on the link below for a summary of common events and risks.
An anaesthetist stays beside you all the way through your surgery. They will be adjusting the doses of the drugs being used to give you just the right amount to keep you asleep, if under general anaesthetic, pain free and safe.
The Royal College of Anaesthetists has produced a series of leaflets on the risks of anaesthesia if you want to look at risks in more detail.
Last reviewed 05 September 2024