Preparing for Surgery
Neurosurgery is major surgery and is stressful to the body and mind. To optimise your recovery, it is important to have a positive attitude and be as physically fit as possible. Factors that hinder healing are:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Excessive alcohol
- Poor nutrition
In the time leading up to an operation it is advisable to:
- Stop smoking
- Maintain a healthy, nutritious diet
- Engage in exercise
- Get adequate night time sleep
There are certain medications that also need consideration prior to surgery
- Blood Thinning medication (Anticoagulants)
- Warfarin
- Pradaxa, Xarelto, Rivaroxaban
- Clexane
These are prescribed to people who have certain heart conditions or those who have had problems with blood clots in the past. It prevents blood from clotting.
Neurosurgery cannot be performed on people who are on these drugs, as it significantly increases the risk of uncontrolled bleeding during and after surgery.
They must be stopped prior to surgery. If you are on one of these drugs and are due to have a surgical procedure, it is crucial that you inform your Neurosurgeon of this.
- Anti platelet medication
- Aspirin
- Clopidogrel
- NSAIDS (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs)
These drugs have many trade names. Following are a list of the common ones.
Aspirin: Cartia, Dispirin, Solprin, Asassantin
Clopidogrel: Plavix, Iscover
NSAIDS: Voltaren, Nurofen, Celebrex, Ibuprofen
These drugs stop the functioning of platelets which are found normally in our blood and are essential in stopping bleeding.
For most Neurosurgical procedures, it is advisable to cease these medications 7-10 days prior to surgery.
Again, it is crucial that you inform your Neurosurgeon if you are taking any of these.
Hair Care
For brain operations, Dr Shivalingam only shaves a minimal amount of hair. There is no special preparation required preoperatively. However, it is advisable to shampoo your hair the day prior to surgery and avoid any hair products such as gels and sprays.
How to book in for surgery
- Consultation
Surgery can only be booked after a detailed consultation with Dr Shivalingam. Sometimes, more than one consultation is required.
During your consultation with Dr Shivalingam, the procedure and the significant complications associated with that procedure will be outlined for you. She will also guide you with what to expect during recovery. Once you have decided to proceed with surgery, you will need to sign the consent form.
- Allocation of Date and Hospital for surgery. This depends on several factors
- Urgency of the condition
- Financial classification
Private
Public - Hospital
- The need for special equipment
- Availability of other surgeons involved in your surgery
- Your convenience
- Preadmission clinic
Preadmission clinic occurs before the surgery date and is required to ensure that you are:
- Fit for surgery with no other medical complicating factors
- Have ceased or started relevant medications,
- Signed the consent
- Give you instructions on where and when to come for your surgery
At the preadmission clinic you will:
- Meet the anaesthetist and the other significant people who are essential for your care in hospital.
- Have a set of tests (blood tests, ECG etc) to ensure that you are medically fit for the operation.
For most brain operations, you will also need another CT or MRI for the purpose of the computer navigation system used for your operation. You will be notified of the time and date for this scan.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the office. It is my practice and priority to be there for you at this time. Dr. Brindha
