Are you coming to a Mehiläinen hospital for a surgical procedure? The treatment path for a patient at the hospital is always planned individually in cooperation with the professionals responsible for the surgery, but many parts of the path from appointment booking to preparation and recovery are quite similar regardless of the procedure.
The quality of Mehiläinen’s hospitals, the treatment paths and the effectiveness of the treatments are developed according to the principle of continuous improvement.
The start of the treatment path: scheduling and booking of the surgery
The medical urgency of the procedure is the most important factor in the scheduling of surgery. Your own wishes concerning the scheduling will also be taken into account.
The surgery is booked during a visit to the surgeon or by an operation coordinator who contacts you based on a referral from a doctor.
You can also contact the hospital by phone or e-mail and agree on a time with the operation coordinator according to a plan drawn up by the doctor.
Before the surgery – preparations for the surgery as part of the patient’s treatment path
When the surgery has been booked, all instructions on how to prepare will be explained to you by the surgeon at the clinic, over the phone by the operation room coordinator or over the phone by the nurse who prepares you for the procedure.
A patient information form for mapping your health status and other written instructions for preparing for the surgery are sent to you by e-mail prior to the surgery.
If you are having knee, hand, shoulder, ankle, back or foot surgery, questionnaires related to the monitoring of the effectiveness of the treatment will be sent to you by e-mail before and after the surgery. All necessary imaging examinations and laboratory tests, as well as physiotherapy visits, are also planned according to the doctor’s treatment plan.
The exact time of arrival is agreed on when the surgery appointment is booked or shortly afterwards. If you are unable to come to the hospital at the scheduled time, please notify the operation room coordinator as soon as possible.
You should take a shower before the surgery or at least the previous evening, as the skin in the area operated on should be intact and clean. You should also wash your hair.
Please note that you should stop using herbal medicines and dietary supplements two weeks before the procedure. If you are not sure what products are considered herbal medicines and dietary supplements, you should ask for more information when booking your surgery.
Arriving at the hospital – the day of the surgery
On the day of the surgery, Mehiläinen’s staff will prepare you for the procedure and you will be able to meet your surgeon and anesthesiologist before the procedure. Your preferences concerning the form of anesthetic (general or local anesthetic) will be taken into account if possible.
You can take the following with you to the hospital:
- a familiar toy or book if the patient is a child
- something to read, such as magazines or a book
- any personal assistive devices
- clothes that are easy to put on after the surgery
- items related to your own personal hygiene: toothbrush, toothpaste, comb/hairbrush etc.
The hospital provides clothes for the patient and general personal hygiene products such as soap.
Print the patient information form and fill it in, and take it with you to the hospital. If you are accompanying a child, print the patient information form for the child, fill it in and take it with you to the hospital.
Recovery – after the surgery
After the surgery, you will be cared for in the recovery ward, where a nurse is present when you wake up and your condition will be monitored. You will be offered food and drink at the hospital when you are well enough.
All instructions for postoperative care will be explained to you before you leave the hospital. You will be given written instructions, prescriptions and the medical certificates you need. With the instructions, you will also be given contact details to use in case you experience any issues or concerns after the surgery.
In most cases, the patient is able to go home on the day of the surgery. If you are having major surgery, your treatment may continue at Mehiläinen’s hospital for several days.
You are also welcome to Mehiläinen after the surgery, for example to remove stitches from the surgical wound. You can book an appointment online or by contacting Mehiläinen’s customer service!