Before your planned operation or procedure under general anaesthetic (surgery while you're asleep) you must have completed a pre-operative assessment. We carry out all pre-operative assessments at Addenbrooke's for cases at both Addenbrooke's hospital and Ely day surgery unit. During this appointment a specially trained nurse, or health care assistant, will review your medical history, current medications, and provide your pre-operative instructions.
Our aim is to optimise our patients’ health to ensure they are in the best possible condition before surgery. This helps limit cancellations, complications during, or after surgery, and improve post-operative recovery afterwards.
The appointment involves:
- Taking an accurate and detailed past medical history. We will discuss all previous surgeries, and current medical conditions. Please bring any supporting information from clinic appointments outside the trust as we do not have access to surrounding hospitals medical records. For example Pacemaker identification cards, recent clinic appointments for long term medical conditions or details of recent surgeries
- Recording current medication - Please bring a list of all your prescribed medication as we do not have access to your GP records.
- Taking a height / weight and blood pressure measurement.
- You may also require a blood test and / or heart tracing (ECG) and / or urine sample.
- All patients will require a pre-operative skin swab to test if MRSA (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) is present on the skin.
- Planning for what happens when you leave hospital after your procedure
Click here for a leaflet containing information about pre-op assessment.
Important information
Without a pre-operative assessment your operation could be cancelled, so it is essential you attend.
If you are unwell, or unable to attend your appointment, please ring our admin in advance to let us know.
Please be aware that if you are more than 15 minutes late to an appointment you may be asked to re-book and return another day. This is to ensure our later appointments can proceed on schedule.
Opening times
The clinic is open Monday to Friday between 08:00 - 18:00. We have additional availability for evening and weekend appointments, but these are by appointment only.