The ideal pre-surgery checklist to refer to

Whether you are doing a diagnostic laparoscopy procedure, a gastric lap band surgery or a lap appendectomy procedure, there are certain steps that you must take, to make sure that the surgery goes smoothly.

1. You must know it all: Knowing whether you are doing a diagnostic laparoscopy procedure, a gastric lap band surgery or a lap appendectomy procedure is not enough. You must know all about the procedure, what you can do pre or post the procedure, what others can do for you and most importantly whether you have been doing the right thing all this while.

2. Good Communication is important: Doctor and patient communication are This is because your doctor does not know much about your medical history and needs to learn it before treating you. Learning your medical history will help him know how to treat you, what medicines you must take and what medicines can cause an unintended reaction. Hence, it is very important that you communicate with your doctor and make sure to tell him everything he asks so that your well monitored.

3. Always get a second opinion: A doctor may know most things, but we must not forget that he is human too, and could very well miss something. Therefore, it is crucial that you get a second opinion before a surgery and get the information needed, which the first doctor may have missed.

4. Stop smoking and drinking: Alcohol leads to various problems like liver cirrhosis, internal bleeding and anaesthesia related problems. Smoking, on the other hand, could lead to infections and also lead to a longer healing time for the incisions. It is best to quit smoking and drinking, at least for the time until the operation takes place to avoid such problems.

5. Do not eat or drink before the operation: Anesthesia will have to be administered during the operation, and this can cause vomiting and nausea. However, there are mechanisms which stop vomit going up the windpipe when you are going to throw up. Anaesthesia also causes these mechanisms to stop working, causing you to get chocked. Therefore, it is advisable not to eat or drink before the operation.

6. Stock your house and fridge: You will not be able to do much after the surgery. Shopping and cooking are among the most common problems. Therefore, it is crucial that you are prepared for this and stock your house with the things that you will need. Also, since you will not be able to do much work which includes cooking; it is best to stock food in your fridge to avoid any such hassle post-surgery.

7. Get friends to help you: It is not possible for your friends to help you every time. But also, you must realise that you cannot do everything yourself. Therefore, it is crucial that you get some help with a few things. This could include driving and other household chores that you regularly do. Also, keep in mind to take help from people who you trust and who can help you.

8. Pre-arrangement of blood: Blood transfusions are very common when you opt for There are some reasons for blood to be needed, and it is not surprising that the hospital may ask for it all of a sudden. Therefore, it is essential to be prepared and arrange for donors who can donate blood so that you can use it during any point of the surgery.

This is the ideal checklist of precautions that you should take before your surgery. However, do ask our doctors for other precautions that you could take.