Countdown to successful surgery: Your pre-op checklist

In the month before your procedure:

Take control of chronic health issues. Conditions such as anemia, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and a history of blood clots or varicose veins could raise your risk for surgical complications, slow your recovery, or even delay your procedure if they’re not well-controlled.

Kick the habit. Quit smoking for at least a month before your procedure—and stay tobacco-free afterward. Tobacco use slows healing and increases your risk for wound infections, pneumonia, heart attack, and stroke.

Closer to your procedure:

Follow your doctor’s guidelines about medications and supplements. Take only the prescription and over-the-counter medications your doctor has advised you to use. He or she may tell you to stop or change some of your drugs, such as blood thinners, for a short period of time.Skip supplements, herbal remedies, vitamins, and minerals unless your health care practitioner tells you to use them.

Get ready for a great recovery. It’s smart to talk with your doctor ahead of time about what you can expect after surgery and what you can do to support your recovery. Having this information can ease worries and increase your confidence beforehand. In a national survey of more than 28,000 adults, knowing what to expect before a procedure and following post-op instructions significantly reduced risk for problems and boosted post-op well-being.

Ask questions. Don’t hesitate to call your health care practitioner if you have any questions or concerns. You may want to double-check which medications to stop and which to continue taking, for example. And be sure to let your doctor know if you don’t feel well in the days leading up to your surgery—a new skin rash or infection, a cough, a fever, cold or flu symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath, or other symptoms that concern you should all be brought to your doctor’s attention. 

The day before and morning of your surgery:

Know when to stop eating and drinking. Your doctor may advise you not to eat or drink after midnight on the night before your procedure, for example, or give you other food and drink guidelines to reduce the odds of vomiting and aspirating during your procedure. Stop alcoholic drinks 24 hours before your procedure, longer if advised by your doctor. You may also need to follow a special diet in the days before your surgery. Be sure to ask your doctor. And don’t smoke or use tobacco products within 24 hours of your procedure.

Scrub up. Take a shower and clean thoroughly with plain soap and water, or with medicated soap if recommended by your physician, the night before or the morning of your procedure. Skip products with fragrances during and after your shower, and don’t apply lotions afterward. Scrub your fingernails with a brush, and remove nail polish and acrylic nails. But don’t shave the area of your body where the operation is focused on—that will happen at the hospital or outpatient center if needed.

Pack and bring only the essentials. Be sure to bring your photo ID and insurance information with you. Take off all jewelry; leave it and valuables at home. For an overnight stay, carry only what you’ll need: a case for your glasses or contact lenses and for your dentures, flat walking shoes with nonslip soles, a lightweight robe, shorts or sweat pants, a T-shirt, and clothes to wear when you go home. You may also want to bring a list of phone numbers so you can contact relatives and friends.

Ask a relative or trusted friend to come with you. Have someone come with you to the procedure who can talk with your doctor afterward about instructions for your care at home—and who can bring you home.