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If there is time before surgery, you may be told to do the following to help your surgery go more smoothly:
- Tell your doctor about any medications you’re taking. Medications that thin your blood such as aspirin, heparin, Coumadin, and others will need to be stopped at least 10 days before your surgery.
- Tell us if you are allergic to any antibiotics since you will receive a dose immediately before your surgery.
- Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight before surgery including water, chewing gum, and breath mints.
- If your doctor tells you to take medication the morning of surgery, swallow it with only small sips of water.
- Weeks ahead of time, you may be asked to donate blood for your surgery.
- If you smoke, you should stop now. Ask us for a nicotine patch. Smoking can be harmful to your cardiopulmonary status, can negatively affect fusion during back and neck surgery, and can make vascular problems in the brain much worse.
- At least three to four weeks before surgery, stop smoking or cut down as much as you can.
- Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) can make you bleed more during surgery. They may also keep your bones from fusing.
- Ask your doctor if and when you should stop taking them.
Your Medical Checkup
You may need to see your primary care doctor to make sure you’re in good shape for surgery. Tell your doctor what medications you are taking including over-the-counter drugs like cold medicine and aspirin. Ask your doctor and surgeon if you should stop taking any medications before surgery.
Getting Your Home Ready
To make life after surgery easier, you should get your home ready. Some suggestions are:
- Put things where you can get them without reaching or bending.
- Pick up clutter.
- Remove throw rugs.
- Tape down electrical cords.
- Arrange for someone to help you with cleaning and household duties.
Your doctor may ask you to prepare by doing the following:
- Provide a list of all medicines you take, including aspirin and anti-inflammatories.
- Don’t eat six hours before check-in, or drink anything four hours before.
- Arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home afterward.
- Bring any requested x-ray, CT, or MRI images on the day of the procedure.
Your Family's Role
- Support the patient by offering to help with daily tasks. Attend appointments, run errands, and cook.
Be a good listener and be sure to keep all family members involved, including children. You and your loved one will go through stages of feelings. Your ability to share these feelings and listen will help keep your loved one from feeling alone. The treatments your loved one is having may seem frightening.
The healthcare team will want to prevent and control complications. But the timing of surgery may depend on you or your loved one’s condition.
Make sure all follow-up visits are kept and check that all medications are taken as directed. Be patient with mood swings, pain, or fatigue that your loved one may feel.
Talk to the doctor if any sadness does not pass with time. When your loved one is ready, find ways to help them return to normal daily activities. Patients may also suffer with memory loss, decreased ability to concentrate and multitask from brain surgery. Most, if not all, should improve with time.
Arriving and Getting Ready
You’ll most likely arrive at the hospital a few hours before your surgery. If you have not preregistered, you’ll have forms to fill out. After you change into a gown, certain tests may be done. Then, one or more IV lines may be started. These lines provide the fluids and medications you need during surgery. If we are using monitoring (SSEPs and MEPs) during the surgery, the professionals performing the monitoring will introduce themselves and answer your questions.
Anesthesia
At the start of your surgery, you’ll be given general anesthesia. This medication will make you “sleep” through the surgery. An anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist is in charge of the anesthesia. He or she may meet with you before the surgery begins to talk with you and answer questions.
Checking In
You’ll be asked to fill out and sign some forms when you check in. These can include surveys about your pain. Your doctor also may give you a brief physical exam. Finally, you may receive an IV line to give you fluids and medicine.
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