Reminder for people coming in for a surgery

Coming to the hospital

  • When coming for a day surgery, please come at the agreed time:
    • in Tallinn to Veerenni 51 (8th floor),
    • in Tartu to Raatuse 21 (6th floor).
  • If you are unable to come to the hospital at the agreed time, please be sure to report this:
    • in Tallinn by calling +372 5198 8484 or to the call centre by calling 1330,
    • in Tartu by calling 1330.
  • Things to bring to the hospital: a personal identification document (passport, ID card or driving license), a completed anaesthesia leaflet (if given to you by your doctor) and medications you are taking on a daily basis along with aids if needed. Please remove all jewellery before coming to the hospital.

Before surgery

Your overall health condition must be assessed before you come in for an operation.

  • Up to two weeks before the operation, it is necessary to do blood tests and potentially also urine test, a cardiogram and a chest X-ray.
  • If your operation is performed under general anaesthesia, you will be provided with a questionnaire to fill in with details of your health status, past and present illnesses and daily medications, hypersensitivity to medical products, previous operations and lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol consumption, etc.).
  • Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking blood thinners (e.g. aspirin, Marevan, Eliquis, Xarelto, Pradaxa, Lixiana) so you can plan for timely withdrawal before the surgery.

Day of Surgery

The week before the operation and on the day of the operation, the patient must not have any acute illness (runny nose, cough, fever) or acute skin inflammation. We also recommend, if possible, to not have the operation while menstruating.

Taking medications

  • On the morning of the operation, take your regular medication with minimal amount of water (except for blood thinners, which should be discussed with the doctor when planning the operation).
  • Patients are asked to bring the medications they take on a daily basis (such as insulin for diabetics or an inhaler for patients with asthma) and a list of the medicines including their doses to the clinic.

Eating and drinking before surgery

In the case of surgery under general anaesthesia, do not eat for 6 hours before the surgery or drink, chew gum or smoke for 4 hours before the surgery. However, please note that excessive fasting (12 hours or more) before the surgery is also not recommended as it can cause nutrient deficiencies and dehydration.

After surgery

Please note! Due to impaired reactions, you are not allowed to drive a car or operate machinery for 24 hours after anaesthesia (even short-acting). To get home safely, ask someone to accompany you and, if possible, arrange transportation.

Our rules

Our goal is to guarantee the comfort and wellbeing of all patients. To achieve this, we kindly ask you to follow the rules while in the department.

  • Please treat the hospital property prudently.
  • Please keep your surroundings clean and tidy.
  • Please treat staff and other patients with kindness and respect.
  • We follow the principle of a smoke-free hospital. It is prohibited to smoke or consume alcohol or narcotics in the rooms and on the territory of the hospital or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Unauthorised photography, filming and recording of conversations is prohibited on the territory of the department.
  • In order to ensure security, patient safety and the quality of treatment, security cameras have been installed on the external territory of the hospital and in the public areas of the departments.
  • In the event of an emergency, follow the instructions given by the department staff.
  • Patients will be discharged, and the wards vacated latest at 12pm (except day surgery procedures or in case of special agreements with the department staff).
  • Outerwear and outdoor footwear must be left in the wardrobe of the department.
  • Please store valuables in your room or lock box.