Pre-operative assessment

Most planned surgery will involve the services of the nurse led pre-assessment process.

After your surgeon has decided that you need an operation, you will be asked to fill out a health questionnaire.  You will have to tick “yes” or “no” to questions about your health as it is now and if appropriate,  in the past.  If you see your surgeon in Whangārei you may be able to come to clinic and be seen by a nurse straight away.  If you are seen in another hospital e.g. Dargaville, or do not have the time to visit the clinic, the booking clerk will ring you and make you an appointment.  You may also have this appointment in Kaitaia.

At the clinic the nurse will check your blood pressure, listen to your heart and lungs, record an ECG and order blood tests and x-rays if necessary.  You will be given information about your anaesthetic, pain relief, what medications to take and what medications to stop.  The nurse will give you her contact details so that you always have someone to call if there is a new problem with your health or if you have a question to ask.

Based on the answers in the assessment booklet, patients may be contacted by phone or seen in the anaesthetic pre-assessment clinic by the specialist nursing team and if necessary, one of the medical anaesthetic team. Special tests or referral to other medical teams may be arranged at this stage to help with preparation for the forthcoming surgery.

 Pre-operative Assessment Clinic

The clinic is situated in the Surgical Admissions Unit (SAU) and is run by five nurses.  Your assessment appointment will last about an hour.  If you have to see the anaesthetist (the doctor who puts you to sleep) then this will add to your time at the hospital.  There is an anaesthetist available in clinic every afternoon.  The clinic is open Monday to Friday and patients can be seen between the hours of 9am and 4pm.  Patients are occasionally seen outside of these times by prior appointment.

 Conditions which may require you to be seen in clinic

• Diabetes
• Cardiac disease (heart problems)
• High blood pressure
• Asthma/bronchitis
• Thyroid problems
• Kidney disease
• Obesity

Contacts:

Shelley McMahon Clinical Nurse Specialist  ext 8749

SAU ext 8770. Calls will be redirected to the appropriate Nurse Specialist.

• Pre-operative Assessment Clinic (PAC).pdf.pdf.pdf.pdf.pdf.pdf (PDF, 115.3 KB)
  

  A step-by-step guide for patients