 |
 |
Brain and Spine Surgery
A printer-friendly version of this document (in PDF format) can be found by clicking here.
2 Weeks Prior to Surgery
Schedule a preoperative visit with your primary care physician, who will perform a complete physical exam and blood tests to ensure that any significant medical issues are addressed prior to surgery.
Eat a balanced diet and do not attempt to lose weight in the two weeks prior to surgery. Keep yourself well hydrated and reduce stress in order to promote your general health.
Stop taking any diet medications such as phentermine (Fastin), phendimetrazine (Plegine), fenfluramine (Pondimin), and dexfenfluramine (Redux).
Stop the use of any recreational/illicit drugs. Notify your physician and/or seek professional help in quitting the use illicit drugs to ensure success and avoid unwanted complications.
10 Days Prior to Surgery
Stop taking any medications that contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory products such as aspirin (Ascriptin, Fiorinal, Norgesic, Robaxisal, Soma Compound, Arthrotec, Alupren, Arthralgen, Ecotrin, Bayer, Bufferin, Darvon, Percodan, Anacin, Aggrenox, Excedrin) naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve, Napralen, Anaprox), nabumetone (Relafen), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), indomethacin (Indocin), piroxicam (Feldene), ketorolac (Toradol), and meloxicam (Mobic). For management of headaches and pain from this point in time till your surgery, you may use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or certain other medications that have been specifically approved by your physician.
If you have been prescribed anti-platelet agents such as clopidogrel (Plavix), abciximab (Reopro), ticlopidine (Ticlid), anagrelide (Agrylin), cilostazol (Pletal), or dipyridamole (Persantine), call the doctor who prescribed it to you and ask if it is okay to stop taking them in light of your impending surgery. While it is important to stop taking any of these medications about 10 days prior to surgery, in certain cases it is not advisable since it can lead to serious health problems such as stroke or heart attack. If your doctor does not allow you to discontinue taking this medication, contact Dr. Sehati immediately.
Stop taking any herbal supplements or nutritional/vitamin products that contain ginko biloba, garlic, gensing, dong quai, willow, red clover, St. John's Wort, ephedra or Ma Huang, kava kava, licorice, pennyroyal, germander, chaparral, borage, coltsfoot, comfrey, life root, sassafras, aristolofchia fangchi, yohimbe, and vitamin E.
If you are in doubt about any medications, contact your physician to make sure if it is safe to take before surgery.
5 Days Prior to Surgery
If you have been prescribed warfarin (Coumadin), call the doctor who prescribed it to you and ask if it is okay to stop taking them in light of your impending surgery. While it is important to stop taking this medication about 5 days prior to surgery, in certain cases it is not advisable since it can lead to serious health problems such as stroke or heart attack. If your doctor does not allow you to discontinue taking this medication, contact Dr. Sehati immediately.
If a cold, cough, fever, infection of any type, or any other significant changes affecting your health develops prior to your operation, notify Dr. Sehati immediately.
2 Days Prior to Surgery
Do not consume any alcoholic beverages during the 48 hours prior to surgery since it can have serious consequences on the surgery and anesthesia.
The Day Before Surgery
Take a bath or shower using soap on your skin and shampoo for your hair. Do not use conditioner, gel, hair spray, or other hair care products. Clean any nail polish from your nails using nail polish remover.
Do not eat or drink anything (including water) after midnight on the night before surgery. Exceptions include medications for your heart, blood pressure, or seizures, which you may take with just a few sips of water.
If you use insulin for diabetes, use only half of the normal dose after midnight before surgery.
The Day of Surgery
Wear comfortable shoes and loose fitting clothing that buttons or zips down the front. You may bring makeup to wear in the hospital after your surgery if you wish to do so, but do not wear any make-up on the day of your surgery.
Bring a bathrobe, slippers and personal grooming items such as toothbrush, toothpaste, denture materials, comb/hair brush, and shaving items. If you wear glasses, contact lenses, false teeth or other similar personal items, bring them with you, as well as a case in which to store them during surgery.
Bring your driver’s license and insurance information/card with you to the hospital, but leave non-essential valuables (such as watches, jewelry, cell phones, etc.) at home to reduce the chance of misplacing or losing them in the hospital.
Report to the hospital admissions office at least two hours prior to your scheduled surgery time.
Patients undergoing outpatient (same-day discharge) procedures must make arrangements for someone to drive them home and, preferably, to stay with them for 24 hours after surgery. That is because even though the anesthesia may have mostly worn off, some drowsiness can last several hours after surgery, making it unsafe to drive.
