Pre-operative care is a critical step in the surgery process. Pre-operative appointments are the key to ensuring that your patient takes the right steps prior to surgery, that your patient is fit for surgery, and that your patient is able to find peace of mind in regard to their surgery. Here are a couple of things that you should know about pre-operative care and why it is important.
What is Pre-Operative Care?
Pre-operative care normally takes place a few days or weeks prior to the upcoming operation date. An appointment will be scheduled with a surgeon or consultant where the patient will be able to ask any questions that they may have about their procedure. This also allows the patient a moment to process that they are going to undergo an operation, which can be shocking and hard to grasp for some. This time also allows the patient an opportunity to get to know their surgeon and vitals are checked in order to ensure the patient is well-suited for surgery.
How Does an Individual Provide Pre-Operative Care to the Best of Their Ability?
Good pre-operative care starts with giving the patient the opportunity to talk. Their worries and fears are important and should be treated as such. Giving your patient the opportunity to talk will allow for medical experts to debunk any myths that the patient may have heard about their procedure and reassure them by explaining how the surgery will take place. Discussing anesthetics and medications to them ahead of time can help provide peace of mind. In the end, the best way to show you patient that they are going to receive quality care is by taking the time to make them feel like they matter and assuring them that their unique needs will be met.
The biggest reason pre-operative care is so important is that is ensures that a patient is fit for surgery. It is important that patients are properly prepared for surgery in order to maximize on safety. A lack of pre-operative care may lead to long-term consequences that could have been avoided.