Skip to content

On this page

Preparing for and recovering from surgery

Good preparation makes your surgery day smoother and your recovery safer. This page explains what to do before your procedure, what to expect afterwards, and the warning signs that mean you should contact us or seek urgent care. Your procedure page and the personalised information we send you before surgery will always take priority over the general guidance here.

Preparing for your procedure

Where and how you prepare depends on where your procedure is performed and which anaesthetic you have. Dr Tomlinson will have discussed this with you at your consultation.

Where your procedure is performed

  • In our consulting rooms, under local anaesthetic. You stay awake, you do not need to fast, and you can usually return to normal activities the same day.
  • At The Avenue Hospital, under local anaesthetic, sedation, or general anaesthetic. If you have sedation or a general anaesthetic, additional rules apply (fasting, an escort home, and no driving for 24 hours).


Before the day

  • We send you a personalised email 2 weeks before surgery with the name of your anaesthetist, the hospital, payment information and the specific links you need.
  • Complete your hospital preadmission forms at least 7 days before surgery to streamline your admission.

Fasting

  • Local anaesthetic only: you do not need to fast.
  • Sedation or general anaesthetic: you must fast. The hospital will phone you before your surgery date to confirm your admission time and exactly when to stop eating and drinking. Their instructions always take priority. As a general guide:
    • Food: a light meal may be taken up to 6 hours before sedation or a general anaesthetic. Avoid fried or fatty foods and meat, which slow stomach emptying.
    • Clear fluids: up to 200 ml per hour, up to 4 hours before, and please stop drinking 2 hours before you arrive. Clear fluids are water, pulp-free juice, black tea or black coffee (no milk) – you should be able to read newsprint through the fluid. No alcohol. 


Medications

  • Continue your usual oral medications unless Dr Tomlinson or your anaesthetist tells you otherwise.
  • Blood-thinning medications: discuss these with Dr Tomlinson before your surgery date.
  • Diabetes medications: discuss these with your anaesthetist.
  • GLP-1 medications (for example semaglutide): specific instructions apply if you are having sedation or a general anaesthetic.


What to bring

  • Your Medicare card and any private health insurance, pension, or DVA cards
  • A list of your allergies
  • Contact details for a responsible adult
  • Relevant X-rays, CT, ultrasound, or MRI scans
  • A list of your medications (or the medications themselves if staying overnight)
  • Comfortable clothing, and an overnight bag if you are staying in hospital
  • Something to read; total time in hospital can be several hours even for small procedures


Getting home

  • After sedation or a general anaesthetic: a responsible adult must accompany you home and stay with you for 24 hours. You must not drive, drink alcohol, sign legal documents, or operate machinery for 24 hours.
  • After a local anaesthetic only: you cannot drive yourself home after having surgery on your hand. You can catch a taxi, Uber, walk home or take public transport if you wish.


One simple thing that helps healing

If you smoke, stopping before surgery improves wound healing and lowers your risk of complications. Talk to us or your GP about support to stop.

After your procedure (general recovery)

  • Keep your hand elevated as advised to reduce swelling and throbbing.
  • Keep your dressing clean and dry. Do not remove or get it wet unless instructed.
  • Take pain relief as directed. Most hand procedures are managed with simple pain relief.
  • Most patients need hand therapy after surgery. We will arrange or advise on this.
  • Attend your first post-operative appointment. This is when we review your wound and give you your final receipt.

For what to expect week by week after your specific operation, see the recovery section on your procedure page.

After surgery: when to seek urgent help

Most people recover without problems. Contact us promptly, or seek urgent care, if you notice any of the following after your procedure:

  • Bleeding that soaks through the dressing and does not stop after 10 to 15 minutes of firm pressure with the hand raised above heart height
  • Fingers that become numb, cold, pale, or blue, or that you cannot move
  • A dressing, splint, or cast that feels too tight, or throbbing that is not relieved by elevation and your prescribed pain relief
  • Spreading redness, heat, or swelling around the wound, discharge, pus, or an unpleasant smell
  • Fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell in the days after surgery
  • Wound edges separating or stitches coming apart
  • After a general anaesthetic, calf pain or swelling, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Treat these as an emergency.

Who to contact

  • During rooms hours: call us on (03) 9427 9596.
  • After hours: phone Dr Tomlinson directly on the emergency mobile number listed on your post-operative instruction sheet. Please phone; do not send a text message.
  • In a medical emergency (severe bleeding, chest pain, difficulty breathing): call 000.