Admission for surgery

You must not eat any food from 6 hours before the operation. You are allowed to drink clear fluids, including tea and coffee without milk up to 3 hours before the operation. A nurse will admit you on the night before or on the day of surgery.

You will be given tablets on the evening before surgery and on the morning of admission to reduce the likelihood of aspirating stomach acid. You will be given an injection on the morning of admission to reduce the risk of developing life-threatening clots in your veins or your lungs (thrombo-embolism and pulmonary embolism).

• After surgery all medications will need to be crushed or taken in liquid form until you are eating normally. You will be given a supply of your tablets to go home with
• You will be expected to sit up and walk soon after your operation
• Initially, it will be necessary to confine yourself to liquids only for 2 weeks; then soft moist food can be introduced and after 4-6 weeks you can gradually progress towards normal food