Preparing for Surgery: A Practical Checklist
Most surgery postponements happen for avoidable reasons — a missing report, an unstopped blood thinner, an unfasted stomach. Here is how to arrive ready.
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Most readmissions within a month trace back to something not understood at discharge. Twenty minutes of questions at the ward prevent a return trip.
The discharge summary
This is the single most important document you will carry. It should state the diagnosis, what was done, what investigations showed, what medicines you are on and why, and the follow-up plan. Every future doctor you see will rely on it.
Read it before you leave the ward, while the team is still available to correct or explain anything. Check that your name, age and diagnosis are correct, and that the medicine list matches what you have actually been given.
The checklist
- Do I understand my diagnosis and what happened?
- What is each medicine for, at what dose, at what time, and for how long?
- Which medicines I was taking before should I now stop or restart?
- Are there foods, drinks or activities to avoid with these medicines?
- How do I care for the wound or dressing, and when is it changed?
- What warning signs mean I should return immediately?
- When is my follow-up appointment, and with which doctor?
- What activity is allowed — walking, stairs, driving, lifting, work, bathing?
- What diet should be followed, and for how long?
- Do I have all reports, scans, the discharge summary and the itemised bill?
Worth knowing
Ask for the medicine instructions in writing in the language you read most comfortably. Verbal instructions given at a busy discharge are forgotten within hours by almost everyone.
Medicines: the most common source of error
Reconcile the new list against what you took before admission. Patients regularly go home continuing an old blood pressure tablet plus a new one that replaced it, or stopping a long-term medicine that should have continued. Ask explicitly: which of my previous medicines do I continue, and which do I stop?
Check that you have enough supply until the follow-up date, that you know the generic names in case a brand is unavailable, and that you understand what to do if a dose is missed.
Warning signs for common situations
- After surgery: fever, increasing wound pain, redness, swelling, discharge, wound opening, calf pain or swelling, breathlessness
- After a cardiac event: chest pain, breathlessness, palpitations, fainting, swelling of the legs
- After a stroke: any new weakness, speech difficulty, facial droop or severe headache
- General: persistent vomiting, inability to eat or drink, no urine, confusion, or a fever above 38.5°C
Before you drive away
- Collect all original reports, X-ray films and CD copies of scans
- Collect the itemised final bill and payment receipts for insurance claims
- Confirm the follow-up appointment date and where to attend
- Save the ward or hospital contact number in your phone
- Ask whether any home care, physiotherapy or nursing support is needed
- Check whether a medical certificate or fitness certificate is required for work
Key takeaways
- Read the discharge summary before leaving the ward, while the team can still explain it.
- Explicitly reconcile new medicines against what you took before admission.
- Ask for written instructions in the language you read most comfortably.
- Collect all original reports, scan films and the itemised bill for insurance.
A note on medical advice
This article is general health education written and reviewed by the Patient Care Services at SIMS. It is not a substitute for an examination, a diagnosis or the advice of your own treating doctor, and it cannot account for your history, medicines or reports. If a symptom is sudden or severe — chest pain, stroke symptoms, breathing difficulty, serious injury, seizures or heavy bleeding — call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department instead of reading further.
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