What to bring

Whether you're staying overnight or just a day patient, you will need to bring:

• your appointment letter or prescription book
• Medicare card
• concession cards such as Healthcare card or Veterans Affairs card
• test results
• x-rays
• a list of any medicines you are taking regularly
• something to do while you wait such as a book, magazine, knitting, etc.

What to bring for day surgery

If you are coming to hospital for day surgery, please also bring:

• as few personal belongings as possible that will be placed in a small locker before your procedure and can be collected before discharge
• reading glasses
• any medication used daily.

What to bring for an overnight or longer stay

If you are staying overnight, please also bring:

• any medicine or tablets you are currently using
• night wear and dressing gown
• appropriate footwear
• toiletries—toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, comb, soap and feminine products
• personal shaving gear
• handkerchiefs or tissues
• a big bag enough to full all your belongings in (including the clothes and footwear you will be wearing on the day).

Medication

If you are on warfarin, aspirin or any other blood thinning medication, including some herbal preparations, please check with your surgeon or anaesthetist if you should keep taking this medication.

If you take tablets for you blood pressure or heart, please take these with just a sip of water on the day of surgery unless your doctor, pharmacist or registered nurse tells you otherwise.

Please stop taking any herbal, Chinese or complementary medicines two weeks prior to any surgery, or on the advice of your surgeon or anaesthetist, as these may cause problems with your surgical procedure.