ABOUT ANAESTHESIA
Preoperative Assessment
We sometimes ask patients to attend a preoperative assessment before their procedure.
You may be asked to meet us for a preoperative assessment if you’re having major surgery, if you have complex health problems which may impact on your anaesthesia or because your surgeon has specific concerns for which they need an anaesthetic opinion prior to proceeding.
What to expect
If you require a preoperative assessment, your surgeon’s secretary will book an appointment with us for you. We’ll usually get in contact with you a day or so before your appointment to make sure you’re able to attend.
Your anaesthetist will perform a detailed assessment of your health and fitness for anaesthesia and surgery. Depending on circumstances, it may be necessary to arrange further tests or consultations with other doctors.
In general, this is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns related to your upcoming anaesthesia in a relaxed setting prior to surgery. You’ll also have the chance to discuss anaesthetic options with your anaesthetist.
What to bring to your appointment
When you come to see your anaesthetist, it’s important that you bring all of the following with you:
- ALL of your medications, including but not limited to tablets, injections, puffers, drops and creams, whether prescribed by your doctor or not
- Any relevant X rays, scans or other investigations
- Any relevant letters or test results from other doctors
Many GP surgeries now have computerised patient records and can provide detailed health summaries. If possible, obtain one from your GP and bring this with you too.
Where you need to go
Your appointment will be at our AAS Rooms at Level 2, 182 Fullarton Road Dulwich, not where you see your surgeon.
In most circumstances, the anaesthetist you see will be the one who looks after you for your surgery.