Pre-Operative Assessment

The Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic aims to have patients as fit as possible for surgery by having their complete workup done as an outpatient.

Traditionally, patients were admitted to hospital a few days prior to surgery for their workup and pending the results, other clinicians/disciplines input was often required. This often led to delay or cancellation of their operation.

Before we introduced the service, approximately 17-20% of surgeries would have been cancelled on medical grounds.  Once the Clinic was established, these were able to go ahead as Day of Surgery Admissions after we carried out the appropriate assessment and optimisation.

Our services

The overall aim of the Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic is to:

• Enhance the efficacy and clinical excellence of patient care
• Reduce and prevent cancellations by having the patients assessed by the anaesthetist prior to admission – providing an opportunity to identify other health issues and facilitate prompt treatment of any other medical problems
• Reduce bed occupancy and length of hospital stay, thus reducing costs
• Reduce the number of patients who fail to attend for surgery
• Increase the efficient use of operating theatre time
• Facilitate informed consent
• Improve safety by assessing and quantifying risk and allaying fear and anxiety
• Improve patient education

Consultants

• Dr. Hugh Gallagher
• Dr. Tom Owens

Clinic information

• Pre-Operative Anaesthetic Assessment Clinic

Referral information

Patients who are deemed to require surgery by their surgeon will be referred to the Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic for assessment.

Useful links

• College of Anaesthetists, Ireland
• Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK
• Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland
• Pre-Operative Association
• European Society of Anaesthesiologists