Admission for Minor Orthopaedic Surgery Under Local Anaesthetic

Patient Information

Wrightington Hospital

• Author ID: IJ
• leaflet ref: Musc 059
• Version: 3
• Leaflet title: Admission for Minor Orthopaedic Surgery Under Local Anaesthetic
• Last review: February 2025
• Expiry date: February 2027

Introduction

Welcome to Wrightington Hospital. We hope that your short stay with us will be as comfortable as possible.  Ward 1, D Ward and the Orthopaedic Admissions Unit (OAU) are day surgery wards with no overnight facilities.  Your operation has been planned as a day case procedure, which means that you will be able to come into hospital and be discharged later the same day. Very rarely, some patients do not recover in time to go home and will therefore need to be moved to one of our inpatient wards on the Wrightington site.

Unfortunately, we do not have facilities for relatives or friends to wait on the ward, unless there are special circumstances.  For those relatives or friends who wish to wait, there is a restaurant situated near the main entrance providing the following refreshments:

Breakfast 8am until 11am

Snacks 8am until 3.30pm

Lunch Menu 12 noon until 1.30pm

There are vending machines available outside of these opening hours, offering snacks and hot and cold drinks.

Things to note prior to your surgery

The night before surgery

Please contact the ward you are to be admitted to between 6pm and 8pm the evening before your surgery. Details of where to contact will have been provided in the letter sent to you confirming your date for surgery.

If you cannot attend

If you become ill or cannot attend for any reason, please let us know as early as possible so that another patient may benefit.

Please ring admissions, telephone 01257 567200

Preparing for your operation

Please have a bath or shower on the morning of your surgery.  It is important that the area of your body which is to be operated on is clean and your skin is intact, otherwise surgery may be cancelled. Please do not shave your operation area.  Please avoid gardening or sporting activity where you may get an injury to your skin.  Please avoid contact with animals or pets that may cause skin irritation or injury.

Please do not use talcum powder, deodorant, hair products, make-up, perfumes, aftershave, body lotions, nail varnish, false nails, or jewellery when you come in for your operation.

You may only keep your wedding ring on if you are having lower limb surgery.

If you are taking tablets for high blood pressure or a heart complaint, take them as usual with a sip of water.  If you are on Aspirin, Warfarin, or blood thinning medication, follow the advice given to you in the Preoperative Assessment clinic.  Please bring all your medication / inhalers with you on the day of your admission, in their original packaging.  Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your medications, please contact the Preoperative Assessment Department on 01257 256340.

Fasting instructions

You will be able to follow your usual routine, eating and drinking as normal, unless you have been instructed otherwise by the ward the evening before your surgery.

What to bring into hospital with you

As storage space is limited, please pack sparingly in a small bag (like a sports bag), the following items:

• Recently washed warm dressing gown, full slippers and socks
• A list of medicines you are taking (please bring all tablets and inhalers)
• Something to read
• Please do not bring any valuables with you

What will happen?

Please arrive with only one relative, friend or carer, who is welcome to stay for about 15 minutes if you require assistance.  We prefer that your relative or friend does not stay because of limited space, infection control and privacy and dignity.

When you arrive on the ward, you will be met by the nursing staff who will prepare you for your procedure.  If you have any questions or worries, please feel free to talk to a member of staff.

If you have not already done so, you will be asked to sign a consent form giving permission to proceed with the operation.

You will be asked to change into an operating gown in due course and will be accompanied to the operating theatre.  Your belongings will be kept safe.  Please note that you will be on a theatre list with several other patients, so please be prepared for a wait.

Following surgery

You should be able to go straight back to the ward area and go home after taking some light refreshment and after nursing staff have completed your discharge.

When you are ready to be discharged

We will contact your relative or friend and tell them what time to come for you.

If necessary, you will be prescribed strong painkillers, antibiotics, or other treatment to take home.  Postoperative instructions will be given, and arrangements will be made for any follow-up treatment you require. Depending on the type of procedure that you have had, you may require walking aids (such as crutches). These will be provided by the hospital, and the Physiotherapists will teach you how to use them

Please be aware that the hospital has a multi-disciplinary discharge policy. This means that you may not be seen by your Consultant before you are discharged home. The decision that you are ready to go home may be made by a Registrar, a junior doctor, a practitioner or a nurse prior to discharge.

For the first 24 hours following your surgery

It is advised that you go home and rest. We recommend that you do not drink alcohol. 

Driving around the time of surgery 

Driving yourself home after a procedure (even under local anaesthetic) is not recommended. Please discuss driving with your Consultant prior to discharge; they will provide advice regarding when it is safe to drive following your surgery.  Driving following surgery may invalidate your motor insurance: please contact your own insurer prior to resuming driving. 

Recovery time 

How long you require off work will depend on the type of operation you have had. If you require a sick note, this can be provided by the ward.

Other useful information

Smoking control policy

With the aim of improving the health of patients and visitors attending hospital, the Trust operates a smoke-free policy.  Smoking is not allowed within the hospital grounds.

Fire procedure

The fire alarm is tested weekly, usually on a Wednesday.  At any other time, an intermittent alarm will sound if there is a fire somewhere else in the hospital and a continuous alarm will sound if there is a fire in your area.  If you hear an alarm, do not leave the ward until advised to do so by a member of staff.