Patient resources
Preparing for Surgery
Preparation for hand surgery is usually straightforward, but the details matter - particularly around medication, eating and drinking, and having someone to take you home.
The instructions you are given by the practice and the surgical facility always take precedence over anything on this page.
Before the day
- Tell the office about all medications and supplements, including blood thinners and anti-inflammatories
- Tell the office about allergies, previous anaesthetic problems and other medical conditions
- Arrange for someone to drive you home; you will not be able to drive yourself
- Arrange help at home for the first few days, particularly if it is your dominant hand
- Stop smoking if you can - it materially affects wound healing, and this matters more in reconstruction than almost anywhere else
- Prepare loose clothing with sleeves that fit over a bulky dressing
The day of surgery
- Follow the fasting instructions you are given exactly
- Take only the medications you have been told to take
- Leave rings and jewellery at home - a ring on a hand that swells becomes a problem quickly
- Do not wear nail polish on the hand being operated on
- Bring your identification and insurance information
Planning ahead for recovery
Time off work depends on the procedure and on what your work demands of your hands. It is worth asking specifically rather than assuming, because the range is wide.
- Ask how long the hand will be immobilised, and in what
- Ask when hand therapy will start - for some procedures it starts within days
- Ask what you must not do, and for how long
- Ask about driving, which depends on the hand, the procedure and your ability to control the vehicle
Questions
Will I be asleep for hand surgery?
Not necessarily. Hand surgery can be performed under general anaesthetic, under a regional block that numbs the whole arm, or under local anaesthetic, depending on the procedure and on you. The options are discussed before the day.
Should I stop my blood thinner?
Never stop a prescribed blood thinner on your own. Whether it should be stopped, and when, is a decision made together with the doctor who prescribed it.
Request an appointment
Consultations begin with understanding your symptoms, what you can no longer do comfortably, and what has already been tried.