How to Prepare for Your Laparoscopic Surgery

Your surgery date is fixed — the countdown now belongs to preparation. Patients who follow this checklist consistently have smoother admissions and fewer same-day delays. Where anything below differs from your team's written instructions, their instructions win.

One to Two Weeks Before

• Pre-anaesthesia check-up: blood tests, ECG and a fitness review with the anaesthesia team — often done the same day as your surgical consult.
• Medicines conversation: show the full list — blood thinners (aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, newer anticoagulants), diabetes tablets/insulin, blood-pressure drugs, weight-loss and herbal supplements. Some need pausing days ahead; that decision is made by your doctors, never by you.
• Smoking and alcohol: stopping smoking even 1–2 weeks before surgery improves lung and wound healing.
• Cough, fever or infection: tell the hospital — surgery may be re-timed for safety.
• Paperwork: insurance pre-authorisation/cashless approval, ID, and any advance payment discussed.
• Home planning: stock easy-cook food, arrange help for children/elders, and plan the first week at low activity.

The Day Before

• Re-confirm your admission time and fasting window (in writing if unsure).
• Eat a normal dinner; follow the fasting instruction from the stated time — commonly no solid food for 6–8 hours and clear water only until 2 hours before anaesthesia.
• Skip lotions, nail polish and jewellery on surgery day; remove contacts and dentures at admission.
• Shower in the morning; wear loose, front-open clothing.

What to Pack

How Surgery Day Flows

Admission → nursing checks and identification wristband → anaesthetist's final review → waiting area with your escort → operating theatre (procedure time varies — from about 30 minutes for gallbladder/appendix to longer for complex repairs) → recovery room until fully awake → back to your room, sips of water first, then a light meal → walking with help the same day → discharge briefing with written instructions. Most day-care patients go home the same evening — see our day-care surgery page for the full discharge-after-lunch model.

After discharge, our recovery guides take over: what is normal, what helps, and when to call. Any pre-surgery question: 87478 74666 — the team would rather answer ten small questions than have one worry travel with you to theatre.