Having a surgery
Your surgery is performed under general anaesthetic (fully asleep) in a hospital. Most minimally invasive gynaecology surgeries (almost all hysteroscopic cases and majority of laparoscopic cases) are day cases where you go home the same day as your procedure. Dr Kuswanto will go through the process and risks of having the surgery, including the expected recovery period.
Preparations before your surgery
Once you have booked your surgery, you will be provided with paperwork for the procedure including operative name, operation Medicare item numbers, and transparent quote for the procedure. Please note that is quote is only for services provided by Dr Kuswanto, you will also receive quotes from the anaesthetist, pathologist, and other medical providers required for the surgery. These fee structures may be complex to navigate, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us before the operation.
The hospital you are booked to have the operation in will usually contact you 1-2 days before your surgery. They will also confirm your admission time and location. You should generally have nothing to eat or drink for 6 hours before the operation. Please confirm this with us.
You will see Dr Kuswanto again in the hospital prior to your surgery. The anaesthetist will also meet you and assess you on the day.
Care after your surgery including pain management
Dr Kuswanto will usually contact your next of kin after the procedure to discuss the outcome of the surgery. You will be feeling drowsy from the general anaesthetic and require someone to bring you home and accompany you for the next day.
Pain and discomfort is to be expected after any surgery. Minimally invasive surgery is associated with less pain than traditional open surgery. Pain killer medications will be given during the surgery to minimise pain, and ongoing pain killer medications will be prescribed upon discharge from the hospital.
In general, simple pain medications such as Paracetamol and NSAIDs (non-steroidals) are taken only as required after a hysteroscopy. After a laparoscopy, regular simple pain medication is encouraged in the first week following the surgery, with top up stronger medication if required.
It is important that pain is adequately controlled following the surgery. The anaesthetist and Dr Kuswanto will guide you through your pain relief requirement.
Recovery and Follow-up
Minimally invasive surgery allows you to recover more quickly than traditional open surgery. You will in general be able to drive and return to work after 1-2 days after a hysteroscopic procedure, 1 week after a laparoscopy, and 2-3 weeks after a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Traditional open surgery is occasionally recommended, leading to recovery period of approximately 6 weeks. Obviously recovery time will depend on your individual circumstances, the extent of the surgery and the type of work you do.
You will have another follow-up visit with Dr Kuswanto after the surgery to discuss the outcome of the surgery. If you experience any issue prior to this visit, please do not hesitate to call us immediately.
A correspondence letter will always be sent to your referring doctor to ensure clear lines of communication are maintained between all treating doctors.