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Important Information About Your Operation
Pre-operative
Post-operative
| Pre-operative |
| Admission: |
The day of operation or one to two days before. |
| Investigations: |
Some tests may be necessary and may include a chest x-ray, blood tests and electrocardiography. |
| Preparation: |
If the operation is related to the bowel, it may be necessary to ensure the bowel is empty at the time of operation and therefore you may be given an aperient liquid to drink the day before which results in diarrhoea. |
| Physiotherapy: |
Certain operations predispose to chest problems which can be prevented by chest physiotherapy, and this treatment is therefore considered as an integral part of the pre and post-operative management. |
| Nebulizer: |
A nebulizer (air humidifying mask) may be used to assist your breathing in both the pre and post-operative period if necessary. |
| Anaesthetist |
The specialist anaesthetist will visit you pre-operatively to discuss the anaesthetic, to examine you and to order the pre-medication. |
| Physician: |
In some circumstances a pre-operative visit by a specialist physician may also be necessary. |
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| Post-operative |
High Dependency
Nursing Department: |
For the first 24 hours on returning from the operating theatre, you may be cared for in the High Dependency Nursing Department. This a unit where there is constant specialized nursing supervision. Sometimes patients require post operative admission to the Intensive Care Department. |
| Intravenous Drip: |
A drip will be inserted in the operating theatre and will remain for 3-5 days, or as necessary until the intestine begins to function normally. This stage is often recognized by hearing "wind noises" in the abdomen or the passing of gas from the rectum. |
Pain Relieving
Drugs: |
These may be administered by injection or through the intravenous drip or through a tiny catheter (thin plastic tube) inserted into the lower back for the first 2-3 days or as necessary. Oral medication will be substituted when discomfort has diminished. |
| Anti-Clotting Drugs: |
A small almost painless injection blood thinning medication may be given just under the skin of the thigh and be administered to prevent blood clots (thrombosis) developing in the legs. |
| Urinary Catheter: |
In the operating theatre a urinary catheter (a small diameter rubber tube) may be inserted into the bladder and remain in place for 3-4 days so urine volume can be measured. |
| Drainage Tubes: |
Small rubber or plastic tubes are sometimes placed in or beside wounds for drainage purposes and should not be a cause for concern. These are usually painlessly removed within a few days of operation. |
| Pathology: |
In most cases pathology specimens are taken in the operating theatre and sent to the pathologist for analysis. It may take severals days for the results to be available. |
| Mobility: |
You will be helped to sit out of bed after 24 hours or so, then to commence to walk for short but increasing distances as you become more comfortable. |
| Diet: |
You will be able to suck pieces of ice from a few hours post-operatively. When the bowels begin to function, other liquids are permitted and then a light diet as tolerated. |
Skin Stitches
or Staples: |
These will be taken out within a week or ten days post operatively, and small paper steristrips are substituted to support the wound. |
| Visitors: |
Immediate family initially, and usually it is necessary to adhere to specified visiting hours. |
| Discharge: |
Generally not before 7-10 days but may earlier depending on the nature of your operation. Any home assistance, such as the District Nurse, Council Home Help, Meals on Wheels or as deemed necessary, will be organized by Cabrini Home Care before you leave. A follow up appointment will generally be arranged by ward staff. |
| Queries: |
My office staff, as well as the ward staff, will be happy to discuss any queries you or your family may have. |
Related Downloads
Authorised: Adrian Polglase
Reviewed: Monday, February 27, 2006
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gas
July 18, 2007 |
| We’ve all experienced intestinal gas, some more than others. While belching, bloating, and flatulence are considered normal, the urge to pass gas can cause social embarrassment, discomfort and pain. Although you can’t stop gas from forming, you may be able to alleviate the symptoms through diet, lifestyle changes and medications. If you experience persistent gas pains, you should talk to your doctor.
For more information on intestinal gas, visit the ACG Web site at www.acg.gi.org
Source: American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
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Bowel cancer finding brings screening closer
July 18, 2007 |
| RESEARCHERS have identified for the first time a gene that triggers bowel cancer, a move that could bring closer a genetic screening test for the disease.
The gene, carried by about half the population, appears to increase the risk of developing bowel cancer by 20per cent.
Bowel cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, accounting for about 13,000 new cases a year.
So far, faulty genes have only been implicated in about 5 per cent of all cancers, and 5 per cent of bowel cancers.
In the case of bowel cancers, the genetic defects so far associated with the disease are all thought to be associated with faulty cellular repair mechanisms, meaning that the body loses the ability to kill off cells that start to divide abnormally.
Bowel cancer is also the second most common cause of cancer death in Australia, accounting for 4372 deaths in 2003, or 11.5 per cent of the total fatalities. It is notoriously hard to pick up for a number of reasons, including the difficulty of picking up warning signs - such as blood in the faeces - and patients' reluctance to see their doctors.
This year the federal Government began rolling out a screening program, costing $43 million over three years, whereby older Australians send in a faecal sample for testing.
If blood that could indicate a cancer is detected in the sample, the patient may be called in for further examinations.
The latest findings, published in international journal Nature Genetics, suggest a faulty gene found on chromosome 8 may trigger bowel cancer, and account for 10per cent of all cases of the disease. |
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| Let's Beat Bowel Cancer |
| An initiative of Cabrini Health, Let's Beat Bowel Cancer is a not-for-profit, community awareness program dedicated to saving lives through improved bowel cancer research, education and prevention.
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