Neurosurgery - Emergency Spinal Admissions

Introduction

This leaflet is designed to tell you about pre-operative care following your admission on the urgent spinal pathway.

After discussing your operation with your surgeon and anaesthetist you will be listed on the spinal urgency theatre list.

The important points to be aware of with regards to the urgency list is:

1. The list is reviewed every morning following discussion in an ‘urgency meeting’.
2. The list changes depending on clinical priorities on the day.
3. The aim is for your operation to be done as safely as possible.
4. Theatre slot is not guaranteed. Decisions are made after the morning meeting has taken place.

Preparing you for theatre

Pre-operative fasting

You must not have eaten any solid food or drank milk or drinks containing milk for six hours prior to surgery, we define this time as 2am.

However, you can continue to drink until two hours prior to surgery, we define this time as being 6am. You can drink water, cordial, clear fizzy drinks, black tea or coffee (with sugar) until 6am.

You can take your medicines as normal with a little water. The nurses will advise you on which medicines need to be missed e.g. Aspirin.
 
If you are diabetic the doctors will talk to you about how to manage your medicines or injections.

To ensure that you are ready for your operation it may be necessary for the nurses on the ward to prepare you by initiating these fasting guidelines each day until after the urgency meeting when they are made aware of which patients will go to theatre.

If you are not going to theatre on that day, we will offer you breakfast as soon as we are made aware of the list, at the latest this will be 10am. This is because occasionally issues arise with other theatres that may change the planned lists for that day.

Our aim

We understand that it can be an anxious time waiting for surgery, so our aim is to make the process as stress free as possible. We will offer you a light supper each night prior to you being fasted and we will encourage you to continue taking oral fluids up until 6am.

We will ensure we keep you updated on the list for that day and will offer you some food if we are made aware your operation is not going ahead.

We will avoid waking you early whenever possible however it is sometimes necessary to wake you if you need assistance to get ready for theatre.

The medical team looking after your care will ensure you are kept updated throughout your stay.