Surgery

How to get an appointment

You can be referred by:

• your GP
• a doctor from your local hospital

Changing or cancelling your surgery

If you need to change your surgery date, please contact the secretary on the number in your appointment letter. 

This will allow us to rearrange your surgery and give your original date to someone else.

Before your surgery

You'll receive a letter with the date of your operation.

You're usually asked to come into hospital the day before your operation. You'll need to go to Dorcas ward or the surgical admission lounge on the day of your surgery.

Please bring:

• all medicines you take, in their original containers where possible. This includes:
  • prescription medicines
  • medicines you have bought over the counter
  • alternative medicines
• nightwear, such as pyjamas and slippers to wear on the ward
• clean clothes and a pair of shoes to go home in

Please read our staying in hospital as an inpatient page for a useful list of things you may want to bring.

If you want to use our patient transport service, a member of the nurse-led assessment team must assess you. Assessments must happen at least 48 hours before your appointment.

After your surgery

How long you'll stay in hospital afterwards depends on the type of surgery.

You'll be assessed each day on the ward to make sure you've got the right amount of pain relief.

Our physiotherapists will also help to get you moving again after surgery.

Once you're ready to go home, you'll be discharged. 

You'll receive a telephone follow-up call from a specialist nurse. This will be between 9am and midday, 1 week after you leave hospital. This is to help with any problems that you may have once home.

They'll make sure you also have a follow-up appointment to see a thoracic surgeon at Guy's Hospital, or your local hospital. They may refer you back to the doctor at your local hospital who referred you.