Learning that you have a medical condition that requires surgery can be quite scary and stressful. If you are in need of surgery, it is important to be prepared if you want to improve your outcome and recovery. When preparing for surgery, you will need to take the proper steps both physically and mentally. The more ready you are for your surgical procedure, the better. This is especially true when you have a scheduled surgery, as opposed to an emergence surgery. If your doctor has recommended surgery and a surgeon has scheduled your surgery, use the following tips to get prepared:

Strive Towards Your Best Health

In some cases, surgery may be scheduled weeks or even months in advance. When you are in this type of situation, it is in your best interest to spend the time before surgery doing whatever you can to improve your health. If you are able to exercise, regular workouts will help strengthen your body. This will help make your body more prepared for surgery, and being stronger will also help you during the recovery period. Consuming a healthy diet and losing weight can also be very beneficial if you are currently overweight.

Learn More About the Surgery

For most people, fear of the unknown is stronger than knowing what is going on. When your surgeon schedules you for surgery, take the time to learn as much as you can about the specific surgical procedure. It is good to know the risks, possible complications, good outcomes, and what you can expect during your recovery. This will help you plan and make arrangements to have friends and family available to help you while you're recovering from surgery. It can also be psychologically helpful to know what you're going into and have an idea of what your recovery timeline will look like.

Follow All Pre-Surgery Instructions from Your Surgeon

Prior to your surgery date, you will have an appointment with your surgeon to review the procedure that you will have. During this appointment, your surgeon will give you information about what you need to do to prepare for the surgical procedure. These instruction may include things not taking certain medications, and not eating or drinking anything past a certain point before your surgery. It is extremely important to follow all of your surgeon's pre-surgery instructions. Failure to follow these instructions could possible cause preventable complications that can make your recovery much harder.