Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy
How to prepare for your surgery.
In this video you will learn how to
prepare for your surgery,
what to expect the day before your
surgery.
How to prepare for your surgery one week
before your surgery.
During your pre-admission clinic visit a
nurse will give you information
on how to prepare for your surgery at
home.
You will need to do these things one
week before your surgery.
Prepare your skin arrange for someone to
take you home.
After surgery arrange for help at home.
Prepare your skin shower every day for
five days before your surgery.
When you shower use a special type of
soap on your belly
called chlorhexidine soap . You do not
have to use this soap on any other part
of your body.
Chlorhexidine soap is an antiseptic soap
this means the soap kills or prevents
germs from growing on the skin.
You can purchase the soap from the
Toronto General Hospital
outpatient pharmacy, or the Toronto
Western Hospital Shoppers Drug Mart.
Arrange to have someone take you home
from the hospital after surgery.
You are having day surgery, day surgery
means you can expect to go home on the
same day as your surgery.
Most patients go home the same day as
their surgery.
If you need to stay overnight your
healthcare team will let you know
after your surgery.
If you do not have someone to take you
home your surgery may have to be cancelled.
You can safely go
home the same day if
your pain is controlled,
you can walk, you have been able to pee.
Arrange for help at home during the
first few weeks of your recovery.
While you recover you may need help with
groceries,
Cooking, laundry, cleaning and rides to
medical appointments.
You may need help because you may still
have some pain from your surgery and
need pain medicine.
Pain medicine can make you drowsy.
If you smoke cigarettes or cannabis tell
your surgical team
and try to stop at least one week before
your surgery.
Stopping tobacco and cannabis use will
help you heal faster and reduce the risk
of problems during surgery.
If you drink alcohol reduce your intake
and stop drinking alcohol one week
before your surgery.
Alcohol can affect how your body reacts
to the medicines you will get for your
surgery.
What to expect the day before your
surgery.
Here are the things you need to do the
day before your surgery.
Remove all nail polish and body
piercings,
shower or bathe at home and clean your
skin with chlorhexidine soap,
eat or drink as usual until midnight 12 am.
During surgery a small
device is gently
clipped to your finger
to keep track of your pulse.
Nail polish can get in the way of the device and
give the wrong information.
All body piercings need to be removed
because part of the surgery
involves the use of electricity.
Shower or bathe at home and clean your
skin with chlorhexidine soap
eat or drink as usual until midnight 12 am.
After midnight do not
have anything to eat.
Eat or drink
as usual until midnight 12 am.
You can drink
clear fluids until four
hours before your surgery.
For example if your surgery is at 8am
you can drink clear fluids until 4am.
Your surgery will be cancelled if you eat
or drink fluid
that is not clear.
Clear fluids are water, apple juice,
cranberry juice, soda water,
broth and any fluid you can see through.
For patients with diabetes you can drink
Water, tea,
sugar free juice, or sugar-free clear
fluids.
Fluids to avoid do not drink fluids such as
orange juice or
any juices with pulp,
milk or any milk alternatives like
almond milk
soy milk.
In this video you have learned how to
prepare for your surgery,
and what to expect the day before your surgery.
Watch the next video to learn
about what happens
on the day of your surgery.