Before your Surgery
Pre-operative Telephone Call
One or two days prior to your operation you will receive a telephone call from our nursing staff.
The nurse will advise you of the following:
- Your arrival time
- Your fasting times - food and fluids
- The length of time you can expect to be at Qheensland Eye Hospital
- Your post-operative care.
The nurse will ask you about:
- Any previous illnesses and operations
- All your current medications
- Any allergies to foods or medicines
- Any special dietary restrictions
- THE NAME OF THE PERSON TAKING YOU HOME AND STAYING WITH YOU THE NIGHT OF YOUR OPERATION.
This is an opportunity for you to ask any questions you have about your admission and post-operative care.
This call will take approximately 10 minutes.
If you have Diabetes, or are taking blood thinning medications, you will need to discuss the management of your medications with your surgeon and anaesthetist.
If we have difficulty reaching you, please call us the afternoon before your operation to confirm your admission details.
Payment
Queensland Eye Hospital has contracts with most Health Funds. If you are a fully insured member of a Health Fund we will ask you to sign a Health Fund Claim Form which enables us to claim the hospital costs on your behalf. You are only required to pay for the cost of the hospital facility fee on the day of your surgery. You will most likely receive separate accounts from your surgeon and your anaesthetist which are payable directly to them and NOT at the hospital.
If you have agreed with your Health Fund to pay an excess or a co-payment or if your procedure is cosmetic, you will be asked to make this payment on the day of your admission.
Patients covered by Basic, Public Hospital or Restricted Benefits will also be asked to sign a Health Fund Claim Form and will be required to pay the theatre fee on admission.
You may pay by cash, cheque, credit card or EFTPOS. We do not have the facilities for AMEX or Diners Club cards. If paying by EFTPOS please check prior to day of admission if you have a daily withdrawal limit (e.g. $1,000) as it may not be enough to cover full payment.
If paying by cash, please bring the correct change.
If you become ill in the days leading-up to your surgery
If you develop a red eye, cough, cold or any other illness please contact your surgeon and the staff at Queensland Eye Hospital as your surgery may need to be postponed and rebooked for a later date.
Before Your Operation
One of our nursing staff will prepare you for your operation.
T
his check will include:
- Checking your personal details
- Checking your consent form
- Assisting you to change into a hospital gown
- Preparing your eye for the operation. This may include a series of eye drops.
The anaesthetist will ask you about:
- Your general health and current medication
- Any previous illnesses or operations
- Any allergies
You may be asked to sign a consent form for the anaesthetic.
Small self-adhesive monitor stickers may be attached to your chest and legs when you are being prepared for the operation. These allow the anaesthetist to monitor you during the operation. You have been asked not to use talcum power because this will prevent the monitor stickers from adhering to your skin. These adhesive stickers will be removed before you are discharged.
The Anaesthetist and Your Operation
When you are in the operating theatre you will see the nurse setting up the sterile equipment for your operation. You may be aware of noises from the equipment or voices of the staff during your operation.
Oxygen will be administered to you during the operation by some tubing near your face and nose. You will usually be given sedation which will make you feel more relaxed during the operation or you may be given a general anaesthetic.
Your doctor will be dressed in a "scrub suit", hat and mask and will look quite different to when you meet at the doctor's rooms.
