Getting Ready for Surgery
- Doctors will prescribe a bowel preparation to cleanse the bowel for greater visibility during surgery
- The day before surgery patients are restricted to a clear, liquid diet
- Eating and drinking is prohibited for 6-7 hours before surgery
- Depending on what medications you currently take, you may need to alter your dose or stop taking them temporarily for a period before surgery
"For patients who who come in to have robotic surgery, more than 90 percent of the time they will go home that same day, which is a great benefit," says Dr. Sarah Todd, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Louisville. "This decreases their time of having to recover within the hospital setting."
Read MoreClear, Liquid Diet
"We advise patients to stick to a mostly clear liquid diet about 24 hours prior to surgery," says Dr. Todd. Clear means you should be able to read a newspaper through it. Some good options are: Clear broth including chicken and vegetable; herbal tea without any milk or cream; clear, light-colored juices like apple, white grape, and lemonade; and of course, plenty of water. This ensures patients are well-hydrated in preparation for their procedure.
The Night Before Surgery
Depending on what time the surgery is scheduled, patients are advised not to have anything to eat or drink for about 6-7 hours prior to surgery. "For example, if it’s a 7:30 a.m. case, we’ll have them not eat or drink anything after midnight," says Dr. Todd.
Also, depending on a patient’s other medical conditions, they may need to stop taking or change the dose of some medications prior to the robotic surgery. "We’ll determine case by case which medications they can take up to the point of the surgery," says Dr. Todd. "That’s also a decision that we make with the anesthesia team to make sure we’re keeping the patient safe."
The Day of Surgery
Patients are usually asked to arrive about an hour and a half to a couple of hours prior to surgery so that they can get settled in the preoperative area, meet the preoperative team, and receive anesthesia. Once the surgery is complete, patients move to the recovery area, where they will typically spend a couple of hours recuperating after surgery. "After a patient meets all appropriate discharge criteria, then they can get back home with their loved ones," says Dr. Todd.
The new, high-tech procedure is becoming more common, and increasingly popular with surgeons and their patients. "Robotic surgery has become very streamlined, and patients tend to be happy and pleased with the process," says Dr. Todd.
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