Category: Periop

After your surgery you may need equipment or extra help to manage at home. We recommend that you organise this before coming into hospital.  Consider: Resources: My Aged Care | https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/ My Aged Care brochure | https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-07/myagedcare-brochure-english.pdf

Optimising your weight and eating a healthy diet before surgery will help you in your recovery. This is because it can: The key is to eat a variety of healthy foods from each of the 5 food groups: Please contact your GP or an accredited dietitian to optimise your weight or if you have experienced…

Being physically active has a wide range of benefits and is even more important when preparing for surgery. This is because it can: Australian Guidelines recommend that all adults do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity every day of the week. A quick way to test the intensity of your exercise is…

Alcohol Alcohol can affect your recovery from surgery. If you drink more than 2 standard drinks per day, you should speak to your GP as soon as possible before your surgery to develop a plan to safely reduce or cease your alcohol intake, to improve your health overall, and/or to prepare for surgery. Resources: Recreational drugs…

People often experience pain after surgery – it is our body’s way of responding to the stress placed on the body from surgery. We cannot always make the pain go away completely, but we can help to make it more manageable with a variety of methods. Of these methods, one is medication. Good pain relief…

You can be frail if you are experiencing a decline in your physical, mental, and social well-being. This can negatively affect or prolong your recovery after surgery.   You can be frail if you are: It is important to be as healthy as possible before surgery. Please contact your GP to address frailty and improve your…

Surgery can be a worrying time for a lot of people and can raise questions, doubts and uncertainties. The lead up to surgery is a good time to address your concerns. Patients who prepare physically and mentally for surgery have fewer complications, less pain and recover more quickly than those who don’t. The emotional impact of…

The iron in your blood helps make a substance called haemoglobin. Haemoglobin carries oxygen throughout your body, allowing your tissues to breathe. Having low levels of iron or haemoglobin can lead to several issues during surgery, including: Low haemoglobin levels is called anaemia. The most common reason for anaemia is a lack of iron, but…

Well-managed diabetes will aid your recovery from surgery, whilst poorly controlled blood glucose levels may result in the need to delay or postpone surgery. You should visit your usual doctor in the lead up to surgery, to ensure your diabetes management is on track – this may include a blood test, review of your medications…