Before
a successful treatment can start it is important that
there is a detailed investigation and a detailed
discussion between the Doctor and the patient. In
principal every patient will be thoroughly interviewed
for his or her entire medical history. The next step is
a thorough physical examination, once the patient and
his physician decide to perform a surgical treatment by
Dr. Hans U. Baer, Dr. Plamen Staikov or Prof Andreas
Huber. All necessary investigations and dates for
reservations of rooms, scheduling of pre-operative
investigational dates, and the appointment for the day
of operation as well as acceptance of cost from the
insurance company will be made by the Centre in
collaboration with the Hirlsanden Clinic. Usually a
patient can be admitted to the clinic within a few days.
Very often the question will be asked, what will happen
to me now?
The day before
the operation
Admission is
usually a day before the operation for necessary
pre-operative investigations to take place. This will be
done by Prof. Hans U. Baer, Dr. Plamen Staikov or one of
the assistants. Highly specialised consultants may be
invited for special investigations. All necessary
investigations and examinations that are important for
operative success and in view of the general health
condition of the patients will be done. There are
investigations like ECG, ergometry, lung function or
radiological examinations. There will be blood samples
taken for haematological and serological tests and also
the matching for the blood groups will be performed.
This investigation for blood testing will be done twice
so that the identification of the blood group is
correct. This is important if the patient needs to have
a blood transfusion during or after an operation.
Following these
procedures the patient will be brought to his private
room in the Hirslanden Clinic. During the rest of the
day the last preparations for the operation will be
done. If necessary preparations will encompass shaving,
prophylaxis for thrombosis, cleaning of the bowel by
special solutions or specific physiotherapy and
breathing therapies will take place. In the evening
before the operation the surgeons and their team will
come and discuss possible questions of the patient. The
responsible anaesthetist will visit the patient and also
discuss possible questions. Depending on the type of
operation the patient will not be permitted to eat in
the evening or will only be allowed to drink something.
Fasting will usually start at 12 ‘clock.
Operation
Day
On the day of the operation the
patient will receive a drug that prevents nausea and
will make the patient sleepy. This drug will be given
about 30 to 60 minutes before the time of the operation.
The patient will receive a hospital shirt and cap. He
will be brought in to theatre. Operation nursing staff
will receive the patient and the responsible
anaesthetist will explain step by step what will happen.
The first infusion line will be put in to place and the
patient will be anesthetised. The operation will start
after all the necessary intra venous and monitoring
lines have been put in place.
After the
operation
Depending on the relevant operation
procedure the patient will stay intubated for further
artificial ventilation or extubated to breathe. He will
be brought to the intermediate care or intensive care
for respiratory and cardio-pulmonary control. Depending
on the condition of the patient he will be sent to the
normal ward about one or two days after the operation.
If a smaller procedure has been done the patient may be
brought to the ward only a few hours after the
operation. Prof. Hans U. Baer and his team perform two
ward rounds a day to monitor the progress of the
patients. They will give the individual prescriptions to
the nursing staff on duty in the ward. The surgical team
can be contacted by the nursing staff 24hrs a day. After
a larger operation the patient will stay in hospital for
about 10 days, and depending on his general condition he
may be transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. If
smaller operations are performed it my well be that the
patient can leave the hospital after 2 - 5 days. If
necessary, patients will be asked to have a follow up
control in the centre.
