1. Educational purpose
The information on this website is provided for general education about preparing for an operation. It is not a substitute for your own pre-operative assessment, examination, and written instructions from your surgical and anaesthetic team.
2. Your team’s instructions take precedence
Nothing on this site describes what you as an individual should do about your own medicines, fasting or preparation. Those instructions come from your own surgical and anaesthetic team, in writing, and they take precedence over anything published here. Where this site and your team differ, follow your team.
3. No guaranteed outcomes
Preparing well lowers the risk of an operation but does not remove it. No anaesthetic is risk-free and no recovery can be guaranteed. An operation may be postponed or cancelled on the day for reasons including illness, uncontrolled blood pressure or blood sugar, a breach of fasting instructions, or a theatre or equipment problem. A postponement is a safety decision made by your clinical team.
4. Seek professional advice
If you become unwell before your operation, contact the hospital rather than travelling in as planned. If you experience severe breathlessness, chest pain, confusion, fainting, or a rapid worsening of any symptom, seek emergency care immediately.
5. External links
Links to external websites are provided for convenience. We are not responsible for the content of external sites.