The questions to ask before signing
Informed consent is not a reception desk formality: it is a conversation. Before signing, you should be able to answer five things in your own words: what exactly will be done, why now rather than in three months, what can go wrong and how often, what the alternatives are, and what happens if you decide against surgery.
If any of those five answers is not clear to you, ask again. No serious surgeon minds. And bring someone you trust to the consultation: two people remember more than one, especially when the one listening is the one being operated on.
Tests and medication: the part planned weeks ahead
Before surgery, laboratory tests are requested, cardiac assessment in some cases, and often recent imaging. Bring all your previous studies on disc or USB, not only the reports: the original images are worth far more than the write-up.
The most delicate point is anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication — warfarin, acenocoumarol, apixaban, rivaroxaban, clopidogrel, aspirin. Many must be stopped days beforehand, and that is coordinated with the doctor who prescribed them, never on your own. Bring the complete list of everything you take, supplements and herbal remedies included.
The days before
Stop smoking. This is not generic advice: tobacco worsens wound healing, increases respiratory complications of anaesthesia and, in spine surgery, demonstrably reduces the chance that a fusion consolidates. Any period without smoking before the operation helps.
You will be told to fast from a certain hour the night before. Follow it exactly, because an incomplete fast can postpone the operation. Remove nail polish, jewellery and contact lenses, and arrange for someone to accompany you and be able to stay.
What to take to hospital
Identification, insurance documents if applicable, your medication list, your imaging and your family's contact numbers. Comfortable loose clothing, slip-on footwear you do not have to bend for, toiletries and a phone charger with a long cable.
If you are having spine surgery, clothes you can put on without bending will make the first days much easier. If you are having cranial surgery, bring a soft cap or scarf; many patients find it helps in the first weeks.
The first days afterwards
Expect fatigue. It is the most underestimated and most consistent symptom: the brain spends energy recovering, and tiredness can last weeks. Sleeping more than usual in the first days is normal, not a bad sign.
Do report immediately if fever appears, if the wound becomes red, opens or discharges, if clear fluid runs from the nose or the wound, if headache increases rather than settles, or if there is repeated vomiting, confusion, new weakness or a seizure. Those are reasons to call without waiting for the follow-up appointment.
Bring your imaging and settle the question
One consultation with your MRI or CT in hand is worth more than ten internet searches. Book by phone or through the form and you will be told what is there, what it means and what your options are.