Preparing well for a planned operation makes surgery and anaesthesia safer and smoother, helps recovery, and helps you feel more in control. Preparation centres on a pre-operative assessment that checks your health and fitness for anaesthesia, informed consent where the risks and benefits are explained, and practical steps — sorting your medicines, following fasting instructions, arranging help at home, and getting your body as ready as you can. This guide walks through each, as a partnership between you and your surgical and anaesthetic team.
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In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.
The most important rule about medicines: never stop, change or skip a prescribed medicine on your own before surgery — some may need adjusting, but only your team (with your usual doctor) decides. Bring a full list of your medicines and supplements to the assessment. You can ask as many questions as you like, and you can change your mind and withdraw consent at any time before the procedure.
The pre-operative assessment
The pre-operative assessment, or pre-admission check, looks at your general health, medical history, current medicines, allergies and fitness for anaesthesia, to spot anything that should be treated or planned for before your operation. It may be done in person, by video or by phone, and may include blood tests, an ECG (heart tracing), blood-pressure and weight checks, swabs or other tests, depending on your age, health and the operation. Come with a complete list of your medicines and supplements, details of any allergies, notes on past anaesthetic experiences, and your questions.
Informed consent and your rights
Before surgery the surgeon or team explains the procedure, its benefits, the risks, and the reasonable alternatives — including doing nothing — and you sign a consent form. Valid consent must be voluntary, informed and given by someone with the capacity to decide, and free from pressure. You are entitled to ask as many questions as you like — for major surgery this is ideally done well in advance so you have time to understand — and, importantly, you can change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time before the procedure. Bringing a family member or friend and writing your questions down beforehand can help.
Getting your body ready (prehabilitation)
Prehabilitation is the increasingly recognised idea that improving your health in the weeks before surgery can help your recovery. Evidence suggests that stopping smoking — even for a few weeks beforehand — can improve breathing and wound healing and reduce complications; that staying gently active builds stamina for recovery; and that good nutrition, reducing alcohol, and getting long-term conditions such as diabetes and blood pressure better controlled can all help. The key is to do these things with your care team, at a sensible pace, rather than making drastic self-directed changes.
Medicines before surgery
Some medicines and supplements may need to be stopped, paused or adjusted before surgery — for example because they can affect bleeding, blood sugar or the anaesthetic — but this is decided only by your surgical and anaesthetic team, in coordination with your usual doctor. The single most important message is not to stop, change or skip any prescribed medicine on your own, because stopping some medicines abruptly can be dangerous. Bring your full medicines and supplements list to the pre-assessment; the team will give you specific written instructions on exactly what to take, hold or adjust and when, and you should follow those exactly.
Fasting
You will usually be told not to eat or drink for a set period before surgery, with specific and differing times for food and for clear fluids, so that your stomach is empty and you do not vomit while under anaesthetic. Follow the exact times you are given, as eating or drinking against advice can lead to your operation being postponed for safety. People with diabetes, especially those on insulin, need special individualised arrangements. Our fasting before surgery guide covers the detail.
Practical preparation
Bring your ID and admission documents, your medicines list (and medicines if told to bring them), glasses, hearing aids or dentures with cases, loose comfortable clothing and nightwear, and anything your letter specifies; leave valuables at home. Arrange time off work and help at home for your recovery — childcare, meals and chores — and prepare a comfortable rest area with easy food and drink. Arrange your ride home and an escort, because you will not be able to drive yourself, especially after sedation or a general anaesthetic; our day surgery guide covers the going-home rules.
Questions, nerves and the Singapore picture
It is worth taking a short list of questions: why this operation and what are the alternatives; the main benefits and risks for someone like you; the type of anaesthesia and what recovery feels like; whether it is day surgery or an overnight stay; which medicines to stop, continue or adjust; your fasting times; what help you will need at home; and when you can drive and return to work. Feeling nervous is normal — understanding the plan, bringing a trusted person, and telling the team you are anxious all help. In Singapore, public and private hospitals run pre-admission clinics where these checks and consent are completed, HealthHub offers general information, and financing through MediSave and MediShield Life may apply to eligible procedures — see our how to pay for surgery guide and confirm claim eligibility with the hospital before the day. Tell the team promptly if you develop a cough, cold or fever, or might be pregnant, before surgery, and call 995 for any emergency. The reassuring bottom line is that preparation is largely about a few clear, practical steps — follow your instructions, ask your questions, and never change your medicines on your own — and that a whole team is working with you to make the operation as safe and smooth as it can be.
Related procedure & surgery topics
- Fasting before surgery
- General anaesthesia
- Sedation for procedures
- Day surgery
- Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery
- Stitches & wound closure
- Wound care after surgery
- IV drip & cannula
- Blood transfusion
- How to pay for surgery
- General surgeons in Singapore
Sources
- NHS — Having surgery (preparation): nhs.uk
- NHS — Consent to treatment: nhs.uk
- MOH Singapore — Managing expenses: moh.gov.sg