Preoperative Tests
Preoperative tests are a set of tests that are carried out before you have a planned (sometimes called 'elective') operation. These tests may be done even if you appear to be healthy, to provide information about conditions that could affect the treatment you need.
The tests that you have done before your operation will be determined by your age, your general health, any illnesses you have or any medication you are on, and the type of operation you are going to have.
The range of preoperative tests recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) includes:
The tests that you have done before your operation will be determined by your age, your general health, any illnesses you have or any medication you are on, and the type of operation you are going to have.
The range of preoperative tests recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) includes:
- Full blood count (FBC)
- This is a measure of haemoglobin and the number of other types of cells in the blood. This will be carried out if it is supected that you may have anaemia, so that additional care can be given during surgery if this is the case.
- Blood clotting tests
- These tests are carried out to check if your blood clots normally and how long it takes to clot. They will be done if you are on blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin, are on kidney dialysis, or if you have liver or blood vessel (vascular) disease.
- Blood gases
- This test measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, as well as its acidity. This will be carried out before your operation if you have lung or heart disease.
- Blood glucose
- This test will be used to tell if you have diabetes before undergoing any major surgery.
- Urine dipstick test
- This test is used to detect certain substances in the urine that may indicate disease, for example glucose in the urine may indicate diabetes. It can also give an indication of how well the kidneys are working, and detect urinary tract infections.
- Kidney function tests
- These involve a variety of tests on both blood and urine samples to determine how well your kidneys are working, and will usually be checked before any major operation.
- Sickle cell test
- Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited disease that affects the ability of haemoglobin in your red blood cells to carry oxygen. If you inherit the sickle cell gene from both parents then you will have sickle cell anaemia, which causes serious health problems. If you inherit the gene from only one parent then you will have 'sickle cell trait', which causes no symptoms but means you are a 'carrier' of the sickle cell gene. If you have sickle cell anaemia or sickle cell trait then having a general anaesthetic may cause problems, therefore if you are of an ethnic origin considered to be at risk of sickle cell disease you should have this test before you have an operation.
- Pregnancy test
- If there is any chance you may be pregnant then this test should be performed before an operation, as anaesthesia and surgery may harm your unborn baby.
- Lung function tests
- These are used to check how efficiently you breathe and will be carried out before surgery if you have any type of lung disease, e.g. asthma or bronchitis.
- Chest X-ray
- A chest X-ray may be taken before your operation if you are an older person (over 60) with lung or heart disease and you are undergoing major surgery.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- This test is used to detect problems with the heart such as an abnormal heart rhythm. It may be carried out before your operation if you are an older person (over 60) with chest pain or a history of heart disease and you are undergoing major surgery
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