Before your day of surgery, you will be asked to complete an online hospital registration, often called an e-admission. This allows the hospital to confirm your personal details, medical history, medications, and insurance information in advance, helping your admission run smoothly and avoiding delays on the day of surgery.

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Click on your hospital below to be taken to their e-admissions page:

• Prince of Wales Private Hospital e-admissions

• St Luke's Private Hospital e-admissions

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Some medications can affect your anaesthetic, increase bleeding risk, or interfere with wound healing. Do not stop any prescription medication unless specifically instructed by your surgeon, anaesthetist, or general practitioner.

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Blood-thinning medications usually need to be stopped before surgery. The guidance below is general only. Please ensure you discuss this with your medical specialist if you have significant heart disease (including stents or valve replacement), a history of blood clots, or previous strokes.

• Aspirin & Plavix: Stop 7 days before surgery if safe to do so.

• Warfarin: Stop at least 5 days before surgery. An INR test is required the day before or on the day of surgery. Warfarin is usually restarted the evening after surgery if there is no bleeding.

• Factor Xa inhibitors (Eliquis, Xarelto, Pradaxa): Stop 2 days before surgery.

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Immunosuppressants can affect wound healing. Please discuss timing and dosing with your rheumatologist.

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Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists used for weight loss or diabetes, such as Ozempic, slow stomach emptying and usually need to be stopped one week before surgery. Please inform your anaesthetist during your pre-operative phone call so appropriate fasting instructions can be provided.

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Strict fasting rules are essential for your safety during anaesthesia. The hospital will contact you the day before surgery with your exact fasting times.

Current guidelines usually allow:

• A light meal, such as toast or cereal, followed by no food from six hours before surgery.

• Clear fluids until arrival. This includes water, clear sports drinks, or clear apple juice

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• Arrive at hospital at the designated time. Our office will inform you of the arrival time at least 1 day before surgery.

• Check in

  • Prince of Wales Private Hospital – check in on level 5 of hospital.

  • St Luke’s Private Hospital – check in at front desk, just past the main entrance.

Following check in, you will taken into the pre-operative waiting area. Dr Ye and your anaethetist will see you before and after surgery.

• Please bring your Medicare card, Department of Veterans’ Affairs card, or pension card. Bring your private health insurance details if applicable.

• All hard copies of your X-rays, CT, and MRI scans.

• If you are staying overnight, bring essential personal items only.

• Remove all rings and jewellery before arrival and leave valuables at home.

Surgery involves making an incision through the skin, and any break in the skin increases the risk of infection. If you have cuts, grazes, pimples, rashes, ulcers, or inflamed skin on the operative arm, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand in the days leading up to surgery, please contact our rooms. Some procedures, particularly joint replacement surgery, may need to be postponed until all skin issues have resolved.

Smoking significantly increases surgical risks and slows healing.

Nicotine reduces blood flow to tissues, which is essential for wound and bone healing. Smoking also increases the risk of anaesthetic and lung complications. Stopping smoking before surgery will reduce complications and improve your outcome.

Please arrange for someone to take you home after surgery, as you must not drive for at least twenty-four hours following an anaesthetic.

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Depending on the procedure, you may need assistance at home with cooking, household tasks, dressing, and personal care. Preparing your home in advance can help, including placing frequently used items at bench height and avoiding heavy lifting or reaching with the operated arm.

If you develop a cold, flu, fever, infection, or skin problem before surgery, please notify our rooms as soon as possible. Our team can assess your condition and determine if it would be necessary to re-schedule your operation.

For WorkCover, Compulsory Third Party, or overseas-insured patients - an approval for surgery is required before surgery. This is to ensure that we are able to bill your insurer directly without cost to you.