Pre-operative Preparation
This booklet is intended as a practical guide to patient care for registrars, medical officers, interns and medical students attached to the gynaecology units at the University of the Witwatersrand Academic Hospitals. Anyone can use it.
Important pre-operative considerations
Blood to be taken before surgery
Important pre-operative considerations
- Blood tests & blood transfusion needs are listed above
- Pap smears must be checked on all cases.
- Specific consent forms exist for myomectomies & sterilization
- Anaesthetic consults can be arranged with the anaesthetic department
- Consider surgery or urology consults, & consults with the stomatherapy staff if extensive & difficult abdominal surgery is expected.
- WHO Safe surgical check list must be reviewed
Consent & note keeping
Advise the patient of well-known operative complications, e.g. all laparoscopy patients should be advised of the risk of possible visceral damage & of possible laparotomy. Record discussions in detail in the notes.
Blood to be taken before surgery – see section at the beginning of this protocol
The recommendations above relate to the operation itself & are given for the healthy, fit patient. Remember that the elderly & those with co-morbidity need extra blood tests, e.g. women with endometrial cancer may have specific associations e.g. diabetes, requiring a sugar series.
Bowel preparation
This remains controversial, as current surgical wisdom is that prepared bowel may contain liquid faeces that might complicate more than untreated bowel.