Surgical advice sheet

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Location

All of our surgical operations take place at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. You will need to report to the Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre (SOTC). Our surgeries are day cases meaning you will not need an overnight stay in hospital and can go home later in the day.

Types of anaesthetic

Local anaesthetic: an injection just to numb the area being operated on e.g. hand or finger, usually performed by the surgeon.

Regional anaesthetic (also called regional block): where the whole arm is numbed by an anaesthetist.

General anaesthetic: this is when you go completely to sleep and the anaesthetist helps your breathing through a tube.

Eating and drinking before your operation

Local Anaesthetic: If you have a local anaesthetic, you can eat and drink as normal.

Regional and general anaesthetic: You cannot eat or drink before these anaesthetics. This is for your own safety to stop food and drink entering your lungs.

Do

Stop eating 6 hours before your operation. Drink water during this time, and you are encouraged to drink a large glass of water before leaving home. If you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, which means you need to eat and drink regularly, please inform the Hand Therapist, Trauma Coordinator or nursing staff before your operation.

Do not

Chew gum, including nicotine gum.
Drink milk as this is considered to be food.
Drink fizzy drinks.

Waiting times

You may have to wait a couple of hours for your surgery time, so you may want to bring a book or magazine to read.

During surgery

You can bring a phone and headphones into theatre to keep you calm and distracted if you wish.

Post-surgery

Essential arrangements

You will not be able to drive immediately after your surgery, so you must arrange for a responsible adult to collect you and take you home by car or taxi.

Pain relief

The numbness will wear off after a few hours. To prepare for this take the painkillers as soon as you get home and take regularly for the first few days.

Follow up appointments

You will be given details of any follow-up arrangements at the time of your surgery. Follow-up appointments may take place at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton or the Princess Royal Hospital, Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre (SOTC), Haywards Heath.

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