How to prepare for your upcoming procedure

Any procedures can be frightening and it is best to understand what is going to get done and the risks, benefits and alternatives to treatment.

Once you and your Doctor decide that surgery will help you, you will need to learn what to expect from the surgery and create a treatment plan for the best results afterward. Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems. 

Working with your doctor before surgery

-Your doctor will perform a complete physical examination to make sure you don’t have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or the outcomes. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed a week before any major surgery.

-Discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor and your family physician to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery.

-If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications or warfarin or any drugs that increase the risk of bleeding you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimize bleeding

-If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your surgery risks and improve your recovery

-Have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later

-Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron

-Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared up

-Arrange for someone to help take you home after the procedure

-Remove all loose carpets and tape down electrical cords to avoid falls

Preparing for your procedure

1. If you are having Day Surgery, remember the following:Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours

2. Do not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home

3. The combination of anesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting. After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat. Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours

4. Take your pain medicine as directed. Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty in controlling the pain.

Author David Shusterman Dr. Shusterman is the managing partner and head urologist at Advanced New York Urology. He is experienced in robotic and minimally invasive surgery. He is an attending at Lenox Hill Hospital and New York Hospital in Queens. He has special interest in Urologic-Oncology, prostate cancer, robotic and minimally invasive surgery, and general urology. Dr. Shusterman is well trained at Robotic Prostatectomy and other minimally invasive robotic surgeries. His clinical interest involves urologic oncology with special emphasis on the care of patients with prostate, bladder and other urological cancers. He performs open, laparoscopic and robotic surgeries. He performs state of the art kidney sparing surgery by freezing or removing the cancer cells and sparing the rest of the kidney. He is also very skilled in diagnosing prostate cancer by using PSA and modern ultrasound guided biopsy techniques. It is our goal to make sure you feel your best and stay that way.