Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Can you go straight home after having GA? General Anaesthetic

224 replies

boysforyoueh · 23/01/2023 21:52

I'm due an op soon. It says 'you must' have someone with you to pick you up after surgery.

But I don't have anyone able to. H will be busy elsewhere. So I hope they don't cancel my surgery Sad simply because I have nobody

But my main question is, how soon after a short time under GA can you go home? Is it simply a case of blood pressure reading fine and then doing a wee? As they like to make sure you can wee

Can I just go after that? It'll have to be in a taxi but the booklet I've got is again saying you can't leave the ward alone

OP posts:
Original poster
boysforyoueh · 23/01/2023 22:32

LiquidGlee · 23/01/2023 22:30

I’m a surgical nurse and I don’t actually think it’s that unreasonable to get a taxi home knowing that your husband will be there to watch you overnight. Every hospital has trusted taxi services so I’d book with one of those. I would call the day surgery unit ahead of time and double check just to be sure. I’d maybe keep you on the ward an extra couple of hours to ensure you were feeling well enough and escort you out to the taxi to make sure you got in it ok.

Thank you. This seems like common sense and very reasonable

OP posts:
Spidey66 · 23/01/2023 22:34

Soontobe60 · 23/01/2023 22:20

Things that didn’t happen 🤣

Show quote history

Could have. They can do them by keyhole these days in certain cases.

Remaker · 23/01/2023 22:35

Someone tried to do something similar recently when my mum had day surgery. He had obviously decided that he’d be fine, had lied and said someone was coming when they weren’t. Was planning to get the train as he couldn’t afford a taxi (not that they were keen on him going in a taxi anyway) Then started loudly arguing about his rights. He’d had eye surgery and had a ruddy great patch on one eye which of course meant he couldn’t wear his glasses properly so he could barely see!

It took up a huge amount of staff time, stressed everyone out including the patients in recovery. Eventually they arranged patient transport for him and said they could have done this from the start if he’d just been honest. But because he hadn’t been booked in he had to wait until there was a spot available. He wasn’t happy about that either. When I took Mum home they were threatening him with a security guard if he didn’t stop carrying on and get back in bed.

Call the hospital and work something out, maybe they will agree to a taxi if you advise you’ve got someone waiting at home. But don’t just turn up and hope you can wing it. It’s really not fair.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
whatwouldAnnaDelveydo · 23/01/2023 22:35

People will flame me here, but I would say my DH was going to pick me up, but he had a problem (baby sitter didn't show up, for example) and he couldn't come and collect me. And let the holpital find you a bed and deal with it - after the operation. It shouldn't be necessary to lie, but in the current situation I wouldn't risk saying anything before the operation.

Rebel2023 · 23/01/2023 22:39

I had one and got a taxi home. They didn't check anything before or after the op
My neighbour checked on me a couple of times (she wasn't able to collect me because of work but popped in to make me a cup of tea)

I wasn't even in hospital for 20hrs after my last GA and that was a 5hr op! Got a taxi home then too

talkingmorenonsense · 23/01/2023 22:41

Well @boysforyoueh if you lie and go home in a taxi, I hope you’re not poorly on the way home. Not for your sake but for the poor driver’s sake.

Enko · 23/01/2023 22:43

I have been picked up in taxi as long as I was going home to someone after a GA.

Summerfun54321 · 23/01/2023 22:48

If you were my neighbour and I didn't know you very well and you explained your situation, I would drive you home. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and ask for help when you need it, sometimes friendships start that way.

OldTinHat · 23/01/2023 22:53

I had treatment refused. The hospital was 3hrs away, no transport available so I would have had to drive, I live alone, the hospital wouldn't let me stay over in a ward so they cancelled it. That was 18 months ago.

Thriwit · 23/01/2023 22:56

I had minor day surgery a couple of years ago and they wouldn’t let me leave the ward unless someone came to pick me up from the ward door. The only person who could possibly pick me up was my dad, but he struggles to walk far. They still insisted he walked up to the ward, him just sitting in the disabled bay in the car park wasn’t good enough.
So I’d really agree with calling them and asking them what their policies are, and what they’ll allow.

Patineur · 23/01/2023 23:31

OP, why are you ignoring PPs' suggestions that you phone the hospital and/or your GP to find out if there is a volunteer driver scheme for this sort of situation?

Glitteratitar · 23/01/2023 23:42

I’ve seen people refused a procedure with just sedation because they don’t have anyone to pick them up. In my experience, they will not let you go ahead if you have no escort.

IdisagreeMrHochhauser · 23/01/2023 23:44

They won't let you leave. I had an acquaintance pick me up as I literally had no one else. I was meant to stay at her house overnight but she had something come up so she just dropped me at home even though I was meant to be supervised overnight. As you can see, I didn't die.

FangedFrisbee · 23/01/2023 23:47

boysforyoueh · 23/01/2023 22:08

It's not something I'd do as I hate conflict. But what would they honestly do if someone lied, had their GA surgery and then came round and said they didn't have anyone to pick them up after all?

I my trust your person has to come to the department to sign you out.

Dixiechickonhols · 24/01/2023 00:13

I had lots of day surgeries and rule was always an adult collect from ward. Under 1 hr travel time home too. If I had surgery in London they wouldn’t discharge me to go home alone (dh was with child 200 miles away) they used to let me stay overnight on ward instead.
Usually I was ok after ga but once I was violently sick in dh car.

devuskums · 24/01/2023 00:22

@boysforyoueh you could try your local link scheme. It's a free transportation service run by volunteers who regularly take people to and from hospital. Google your area and link services or link volunteers transport and see if there is anything. Hope you find a solution and good luck for your surgery.

Thistlelass · 24/01/2023 00:28

The hospital need to take account of your home situation. I would contact them to explain you will need to stay in for a night following the surgery and why. Don't think it will be a problem.

Dinoboymama · 24/01/2023 00:32

In our hospital they can do patient transport. It may be worth asking if this is available to get home on if one is available on the day. It means there is a paramedic in the vehicle with a few patients taking them home.

Or ask if the hospital has local taxis they trust.

Our son had a 2 hour surgery on Friday he went down at 9 and was discharged from recovery at 1pm very woozy as he needed pre meds but everyone was checked they had someone to get them in recovery before they would start their discharge papers.

chelle0 · 24/01/2023 00:32

I was in recovery at 11.30, ward at 12, in the car on the way home at 1. But you have to have someone collect you.

unsync · 24/01/2023 00:48

If you are rural, do you have community helpers? Most villages round here have a group of volunteers who do this kind of thing.

starfishmummy · 24/01/2023 00:53

boysforyoueh · 23/01/2023 21:57

My H doesn't drive and he will be looking after our disabled child at home

In exactly this situation my husband brought our wheekchair using, disabled child in taxi to fetch me. Was it ideal? No, but needed to be done and unless there's a reason why your child cannot leave the house, it's perfectly do-able.

America12 · 24/01/2023 03:23

boysforyoueh · 23/01/2023 21:55

@Chowtime that's bloody awful.

It's for your safety

America12 · 24/01/2023 03:26

Our hospital has volunteer drivers eg Red Cross or St Johns they may be available?

America12 · 24/01/2023 03:29

BustaGrind · 23/01/2023 22:14

Eh, you said you were planning on getting there in your car

@boysforyoueh yes earlier you said you were planning on going in your car. Don't do that it's very dangerous.

America12 · 24/01/2023 03:33

whatwouldAnnaDelveydo · 23/01/2023 22:35

People will flame me here, but I would say my DH was going to pick me up, but he had a problem (baby sitter didn't show up, for example) and he couldn't come and collect me. And let the holpital find you a bed and deal with it - after the operation. It shouldn't be necessary to lie, but in the current situation I wouldn't risk saying anything before the operation.

Yes because there's always loads of spare beds.