Patient Information

Pre-admission

Dr. Mol's team will explain the pre-admission procedures after your consultation, and you can complete all the necessary forms on the day of your consultation. After confirming your specific surgery, the team will issue you procedure codes, ICD 10 codes, and the doctor and clinic practice numbers. You will need these when you check in at the theatre/ward reception on the third level of the practice facility on the day of your surgery. The team will also inform you of eating and drinking times and restrictions before your surgery date.

Anaesthesia

Your anaesthetic will keep you comfortable, safe, and pain-free throughout your procedure, making the experience as smooth as possible for both you and your surgeon. The technique used will depend on the nature of your surgery, your general health, and your personal preferences.

Child Anaesthesia

Unless your child is very unwell, Dr. Mol will prescribe an oral sedative to be given when the theatre trolley arrives at the ward. Once your child has taken the pre-med, please keep him or her calm and resting, as it causes drowsiness and increases the risk of a fall. Every child responds differently: Some become very sleepy, others a little giggly, and others only slightly quieter than usual. The pre-med helps ease anxiety and means your child will remember very little of the journey to theatre.

Pre-Surgery Eating Guidelines

Eating or drinking before surgery carries serious risks. As anaesthesia takes effect, the reflexes that protect the airway are suppressed, causing the muscles to relax. Stomach contents can then push up through the oesophagus and spill into the lungs, potentially causing a life-threatening form of pneumonia.

Since solid food takes the longest to leave the stomach, your child should have no solid food, cow's milk, or liquids containing particles in the six hours before surgery. For morning procedures, nothing of this kind should be consumed after midnight. For afternoon procedures, offer a light breakfast at 7:00 am.

Breastfed babies may feed up to four hours before surgery—around 2:00 am for a morning list, or 8:00 am for an afternoon list.

Clear fluids may be given up to two to three hours before surgery. A clear fluid contains no milk or particles—a useful test is that you should be able to read a newspaper through it. Suitable options include clear apple juice diluted half-and-half with water, or black tea with sugar. Orange juice is not suitable. Cold fluids also clear from the stomach faster than warm ones.

For morning procedures, offer clear fluids at 5:00 am; for afternoon procedures, at 10:00 am. Offer younger children the volume they would normally take in a bottle; older children can have a cup. If your child is not thirsty or refuses, there is no need to force them.