On the day of your mesothelioma surgery

Before your operation

When you arrive, the ward staff start getting you ready for your operation.

You will have been told when to stop eating and drinking before you go into hospital. If you are going in the night before, this will happen on the ward.

You’ll see your surgeon and anaesthetist before you go to the operating theatre. They will go over everything again to make sure you know what to expect. You can ask any questions you have. You sign a consent form for the operation if you didn't do it at the pre assessment clinic.

You might have a drip (intravenous infusion) put into your arm before your surgery so that you can have fluids through it. This makes sure you are not dehydrated before your operation.

You are likely to be in hospital for between 7 to 15 days depending on the type of operation you have and your recovery.

A few hours before your operation

Your nurse will check your blood pressure, pulse and breathing rate. They will go through a series of questions on a checklist to make sure you are ready for surgery. They ask you to:

• tell them when you last had something to eat and drink

• change into a hospital gown

• put on a pair of surgical stockings

• take off any jewellery (except for a wedding ring)

• remove contact lenses if you have them

• put on 2 hospital identification bands usually on each wrist

If you have false teeth you can usually keep them in until you get to the anaesthetic room.

You might also have injections of heparin, tinzaparin, or dalteparin before the surgery and for 2 weeks afterwards. These drugs help to stop your blood from clotting. You usually have them as a small injection under the skin. 

About an hour before your operation is due to start, your nurse will give you a tablet or injection to help you relax. This is called pre-medication. It makes your mouth feel dry but you can rinse your mouth with water to keep it moist.

Your nurse and a porter take you to theatre on a trolley.

Having an anaesthetic

You have an anaesthetic so that you can’t feel anything during the operation. You have this in the anaesthetic room or the operating theatre.

All the doctors and nurses wear theatre gowns, hats and masks. This reduces your chance of getting an infection.

The ​anaesthetist​ puts a small tube (cannula) into a vein in your arm. You have any fluids and medicines you need through the cannula including the general anaesthetic. This sends you into a deep sleep. When you wake up, the operation will be over.

Before your operation your anaesthetist might put a small tube through the skin of your back. It goes into the fluid around your spinal cord. They can attach a pump to this tube to give you pain medicines during and after the operation.

Find out what happens after mesothelioma surgery