Preparing for Surgery
Prior to the operation, patients will need certain pre-operative testing to make sure that they are healthy enough and properly prepared for an operation.
The typical recommendations for pre-operative testing include:
- Blood tests done within 30 days of the operation
- CBC (complete blood count)
- BMP (basic metabolic profile)
- B-HCG (blood pregnancy test) for women
- Coagulation profile if the patient is on blood thinners or has a bleeding disorder
- EKG done within 3 months of the operation for men and women older than 40
- Chest X-ray done within 6 months of the operation for men older than 50 and women older than 60
Patients with other significant medical issues may be asked to visit with their medical team to obtain a letter of medical clearance. The medical clearance allows the patient's medical team the opportunity to optimize the patient's health prior to an operation and allow the specialists to make recommendations for how best to care for the patient's other medical issues during the peri-operative period.
