Going to Hospital guide
How you prepare for your stay in hospital will depend on the treatment or operation you require as well as on you as a unique individual. We trust that the following guidelines will assist you in preparing for your hospital stay and what to expect during your stay and treatment. Being ready will improve your chances for a good result & reduce your risk of complications.
Before surgery, please discuss with Dr. Visser any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or its outcome.
Discuss any chronic, herbal, dietary or traditional medications you are taking with Dr. Visser to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery.
After consultation, you will be required to sign the Surgical Consent form, confirming the limbs and side. Your date of surgery can then be booked.
Dr. Visser operates at the Life Healthcare Eugene Marais Hospital every Monday & Thursday, as well as at the Netcare Moot Hospital every other Friday. Please confirm with your Medical Aid which hospital is covered (DSP facility).
The next step is for you to get your authorisation from your Medical Aid. All information required to get the authorisation is on the consent form:
- Hospital Name & Practice number
- Dr. Visser’s Practice number (038 35 38)
- ICD 10 codes for your procedures
- Procedure codes for your procedure
Please take note of any co-payments or excluded costs and ensure you are able to pay these at admission or before hand via eft. You can contact the hospitals for arrangements:
Please contact Dr. Visser’s office with your authorisation number.
If you are overweight, losing weight before surgery will help decrease the stress you place on your new joint and make the anaesthetic safer. A high BMI (length x weight = >35) usually incur additional charges from the medical aid.
If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your anaesthetic and surgical risks. Smokers have higher complication rates including infection and delayed healing rates.
Please have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later. Report any infections to Dr. Visser. Elective surgery usually will not be performed until all infections have cleared up.
Eat a well-balanced diet. Do not drink alcohol the day before your admission. Your safety and comfort is important to us, and Dr. Visser will provide you with guidelines for fasting (not eating or drinking) prior to surgery.
Pre-Admission to the hospital
Consult the Hospital’s website for more information:
For your stay in hospital – overnight or a little longer – here are the essentials:
- Medical aid card and ID
- Comfortable clothing, slippers and a gown
- Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, moisturiser, deodorant and lip balm
- Cell phone and cell phone charger
- A two-pin plug adapter for your cell phone charger or battery pack
- Reading materials
- A small notebook and a pen, for writing down questions or notes
- Current chronic medication (in original packaging) sufficient for duration of your hospital stay. These should be handed to the unit manager of the ward where you will be staying.
- Eyeglasses, if necessary
- Earphones for use with your own electronic devices / TV audio
- All X-rays or other diagnostic scans and/or blood test results relating to your condition
Please note that you will need to remove all make-up and nail polish prior to anaesthesia, so you should preferably remove any nail polish prior to your admission.
You are requested to be considerate towards other patients in the ward as the use of cellular phones could be disruptive to them.
We strongly advise you to leave valuables such as jewellery, cash and credit cards at home, or ask your family to take it home.