Islanders invited to learn about surgical operations

30 October 2012

People in Jersey who would like to know more about operations and how operating theatres work are being invited to the General Hospital this week as part of national peri-operative awareness week.

The aim of peri-operative awareness week is to highlight the roles of the teams involved behind the patient journey before, during and after an operation. It's the second time the event has been held in Jersey.

Nursing staff will be at the hospital's Parade entrance between 11am and 2pm to answer any questions people may have about having an operation. Instruments used by theatre staff will also be on display.

Head of nursing for theatres and anaesthesia, Judith Gindill, said "The word 'peri-operative’ is the time period that includes the three major phases of surgery. The initial phase, the pre-operative phase, lasts from the decision to have surgery until the beginning of surgery. The second phase is the surgery itself. The final phase, the post-operative period, is the time after surgery until recovery is complete.

"Staff in the hospital’s Day Surgery Unit (DSU) and in the hospital’s main theatres carry out thousands of surgical procedures a year on Islanders, and the most important aspect is making people feel welcome and comfortable with what lies ahead before surgery begins. Preparation for an operation is really important, as evidence shows, that the better informed a patient is about what their operation entails and what to expect before, immediately after, and into the extended recovery phase at home, the better the outcome, and the quicker the patient’s life returns to normal. This is particularly evident with children, who are offered a visit to the Day Surgery Unit some days before their operation. We hope that Islanders will come and see us this week, and we can answer any questions they might have."

Staff work in a variety of ways to ensure that people are well-informed about their operations. For example, in the DSU, there is a 'snakes and ladders' style wall game to advise parents and children about surgery and recovery in a child-friendly way.

The display will be at the hospital's Parade entrance all week between 11am and 2pm.