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    • Preparing for your surgery

    Eras clinical pathway

    You are now part of a rapid recovery program called “ERAS.” The goal of this clinical pathway is to improve your hospital stay, optimize your recovery, and reduce the time you spend in hospital.

    The different sections below describe the main components of the ERAS clinical pathway:

    • Optimizing your nutritional and physical health
    • Decreasing your tobacco use
    • Decreasing your alcohol intake

    To ensure you clearly understand the ERAS clinical pathway, you must read the surgery passport entitled “Passeport pour ma chirurgie” (in French only) before your operation. You must also bring this document to all of your hospital appointments and on the day of your surgery.

    Preparing for your appointment at the pre-admission clinic

    Plan of the Bloc C at the hospital
    Click to enlarge image.
    1. Read your surgery passport (“Passeport pour ma chirurgie”) before your appointment at the pre-admission clinic.
    2. Write down all your questions on the blank page at the end of the document.
    3. Consult the map of Block C at Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé to find the pre-admission clinic.

    Preparing for your surgery

    Surgery can make you anxious. The more you’re prepared, the less stressed you’ll feel.
    You will also need to get ready by doing some essential tasks beforehand:

    • Preparing meals in advance.
    • Organizing help for housework and errands once you get back home.
    • Doing your laundry.
    • Deciding who will come with you to your medical appointments.
    • Planning a ride home after you are discharged from hospital.
    • Making sure someone can stay with you at home for a few days if you feel the need.

    The day before your surgery

    Make sure you follow the nurse’s instructions for your bowel preparation, if your surgeon has prescribed one for you. 

    Carbohydrate loading:

    If you do not have diabetes, your doctor or nurse at preadmission will have told you to drink a certain amount of juice the night before your surgery. 

    Choose ONLY ONE of the following beverages as a liquid to drink in the evening:

    Apple juice
    Apple juice: 1,000 ml
    Grape juice
    Grape juice: 1,000 ml
    Iced tea
    Store-bought iced tea: 1,000 ml

    Avoid:

    Pint of milk

    Do not drink milk, eat dairy products or solid foods, or take nutritional supplements like Ensure or Boost. Do not drink low-calorie beverages

    The morning of your surgery

    Plan of the Bloc B at the hospital
    Click to enlarge image
    • Take a shower and wash yourself from chin to toe with the disinfectant soap (Dexidin 4%) that can be bought from a pharmacy or the gift shop at the main entrance to the hospital.
    • Put on clean clothes after you shower.
    • Do not apply makeup, nail polish, cream, deodorant or perfume and do not put in any jewellery or body piercings.
    • Do not shave the surgery area.
    • Bring your belongings in a suitcase.

    Carbohydrate loading:

    If you do not have diabetes, your doctor or nurse at preadmission will have told you to drink a certain amount of juice the morning of your surgery. 

    Choose ONLY ONE of the following beverages as a liquid to drink in the morning:

    Apple juice
    Apple juice: 500 ml
    Grape juice
    Grape juice: 500 ml
    Iced tea
    Store-bought iced tea: 500 ml

    Avoid:

    Pint of milk

    After midnight the night before your surgery, do not drink milk, eat dairy products or solid foods, or take nutritional supplements like Ensure or Boost. Do not drink low-calorie beverages.

    Prévention des complications

    Nutrition

    Before your surgery, it is strongly recommended that you eat a protein-rich diet to improve your nutritional health before your operation and to help you recover more quickly. 

    Pre-operative nutrition recommendations

    Eggs
    6 g of protein: one large egg
    Chicken
    20 g to 25 g of protein: chicken, fish (75 g; 2.5 oz)
    Dairy products
    8 g of protein: 250 ml (1 cup) of milk
    Peanut butter
    8 g of protein: 30 ml (2 tbsp) of peanut butter
    Legume
    9 g of protein: 125 ml (1/2 cup) of adzuki beans
    Cracker
    1 g of protein: 2 pieces of Melba toast
    Liquid dietary supplement
    20 g of protein: 235 ml (one bottle) of liquid dietary supplement (Ensure)
    Applesauce
    1 g of protein: 125 ml (1/2 cup) of applesauce
    Oatmeal
    4 g of protein: 175 ml (3/4 cup) oatmeal

    Tobacco

    It is strongly recommended that you completely stop smoking 2 to 4 weeks before your surgery to reduce your risk of pulmonary complications after your surgery, to improve your surgical wound healing, and to help you manage your pain after your operation.

    Several resources are available to help you reduce your smoking or stop smoking altogether:

    You can also Ouvre un lien interne dans la fenêtre couranteget tips to help you stop smoking. 

    Alcohol

    It is strongly recommended that you stop drinking all alcoholic beverages 7 days before your surgery.

    Alcohol may interact with your own medications or those administered at the hospital and increase your risk of bleeding and complications.

    If you want help right now to decrease your alcohol intake, contact:

    Exercise

    Before your surgery, it is important that you stay active to keep your body in the best possible shape. The exercise doesn’t have to be complicated.

    In fact, a 15-minute walk outside near your home is enough to improve your physical condition before your surgery. If you are already active, keep up your healthy habits. For more information, refer to your surgery passport.

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