Your surgery. Your choice.
Having surgery is one of the biggest things you will do in your life. So what do we encourage all of our patients to consider before surgery?
Where
As a private patient, you are able to choose where you would like to have your upcoming surgery (depending on where your preferred surgeon operates from).
It is important to understand what facilities are available at that hospital and how they might work best for you. For example, does your hospital have a High Dependency Unit or ICU on-site? Is the hospital a 7-day-a-week facility?
Most importantly we like to ask patients “where is your support network?” Are your family or friends nearby to help post-surgery or have they moved away, and would it be easier to access help if you had your surgery closer to them perhaps?
Lastly, what options do you have for rehab nearby if you would like to attend? You might not think rehab is necessary but it’s always a good idea to have options close by should you change your mind.
When
Another important question we like to ask our patients is when does it suit them to have surgery?
Often we work with patients to accommodate important events like upcoming family weddings or last-minute trips away. It’s important to realise that post-surgery you will have 6 weeks that you cannot drive, are relying on crutches to help support you and will have very limited mobility. These 6 weeks are about resting, elevating, and making the most of the downtime to recover.
We know life is very busy and sometimes things pop up, but we encourage our patients to really think about a time that works for them and their families.
It’s your surgery and you shouldn’t feel rushed.
Who
As a private patient, you choose your surgeon. It’s important from both a specialist and patient point of view that you feel listened to, that there is a mutual understanding and respect and perhaps most importantly you feel comfortable and can ask any questions and understand the whole surgery process.
We advise our patients that there is no such thing as a silly question and make ourselves available to assist however we can.
How
You can make an appointment to see Dr. Khoury and if surgery is required, you can plan for your upcoming surgery together. With our entire team available to assist you both pre-surgery and post-surgery for example with our private nurse-led weekly clinics and patient coordinators available to organise your aftercare.
If any of our team can assist now or in the future, please feel free to contact us directly.