PATIENT INFORMATION
Do I need tests before surgery?
Not necessarily. Preoperative tests should answer a clinical question or help the team make a decision. A healthy person having a minor operation may need few or no routine tests, while a person with medical conditions or a major operation may need targeted investigations.
What decides which tests you need
- Your age and general health
- Medical conditions such as heart, lung, kidney or liver disease or diabetes
- The medicines you take
- The type and size of the operation, including expected blood loss
- Local hospital policy
Why more tests are not automatically safer
Doing more tests is not automatically safer. Unexpected minor abnormalities can lead to repeat testing and delay without improving care. The useful question is: will this result change what we do before, during or after surgery?
Practical tips
- Bring recent test reports you already have. A recent result may avoid a repeat.
- Ask what each test is for, if you are not sure.
- Ask whether any test needs fasting or preparation.
- Keep copies of your results.
An abnormal result needs interpretation in your clinical context. Do not decide whether surgery is safe, or change treatment, solely from information on this website.