Things to do before surgery

1. Eat healthy and nutritious foods during the week before surgery
2. Rest as much as possible to prepare your body for the recovery period. Go to bed early on the night before your surgery.
3. Create a "recovery plan". You should not be home alone during your first night after surgery. Make sure you have someone around who can look after you and help with any issues that can arise.
4. Make sure someone will be able to drive you home once you leave the hospital. You will not be able to drive home yourself.
5. Stop taking aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (motrin, advil, naprosyn) one week prior to your surgery.
6. If you smoke, please do not smoke after midnight before your surgery.
7. If you are staying overnight after your surgery, bring comfortable clothing as well as basic sanitary items.
8. Make sure you know where to go at the morning of surgery. It may be helpful to go there beforehand so that you are more familiar with the surroundings.
9. Come to your surgery appointment on time.
10. Bring someone with you for moral support if at all possible.

Questions to ask your gynecologic surgeon

1. How many of the procedures you are recommending have you personally performed?
2. What percentage of your cases that are planned as laparoscopic procedures are converted to an open procedure (with a large abdominal incision)
3. How many minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgical procedures do you perform in a typical year
4. Do you work with residents? If so, what portion of the procedure will they be performing?
5. What is the risk of serious complications associated with the procedure you are recommending? What are they?
6. Are there alternative therapeutic options to consider for my condition?
7. Would it be reasonable to do nothing, i.e. not to have surgery based on my condition?
8. How much blood loss is typically associated with this procedure?
9. How long is the recovery time?
10. Are there things that I can not do after surgery? If so, for how long?