How soon after a pre assessment will surgery happen?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

My son is having surgery soon. We saw his consultant on Monday who said he’ll be put on the waiting list and hopefully it would happen ‘within the next 4 months’. I’ve just had a text to say we have a pre assessment phone call tomorrow morning. I was under the impression that surgery usually happens fairly soon after a pre assessment?! I’ve never had surgery myself and don’t really know properly how this works but I’m going off what my grandmas experience was, she always had surgery a few days to a week after a pre assessment?

Does my son need to be there for the call? He’s 7 so he’ll be at school.

I'm surprised it's a phone call, at mine they did a full heart check (ECG) and blood pressure as well as asking lots of questions about general health and medications. I think at that point the surgery was already booked, It was meant to be18 months wait but having said I would take cancellations it came back to 6 months and then 3 months! The check was a week or so before.

I think once you've had the pre assessment then they call and give you a date. How soon that is afterwards, I don't know

Hope all goes well.

In my experience, surgery is pretty quick after assessment. Be prepared to cancel dates to make it happen,
I hope it goes well for your little lad.

It will happen when he gets to the top of the waiting list, so probably in 4 months time, if that’s what the surgeon said.

Going on the list triggers the pre-op assessment. I’ve had many surgeries, so I’m a bit of an expert now! 😂

I am currently waiting on the next one. I went on the list (6 month wait) in mid May of last year, had the pre-op end of May. Still waiting in January.

It’s normal to have them by phone when you are otherwise young and healthy. It’s just lots of questions. Sometimes they need to do bloods or to swab you for MRSA, but only if you tick certain risk factors. Otherwise they can generally do the questionnaire by phone.

Thanks, I do too! He’s thrilled because “The doctor said I’ll have to have a week off school!” 🤣

Thanks all, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what they say tomorrow then 😬

I had a preassessment phone call, and a then an assessment at the hospital where they take blood pressure/tests and swab you (they have to do this before all operations). They said it was valid for around three months (although some trusts say six months) and if the surgery was later than that I would have to do it again. Tests were in mid October, phone call regarding the appointment was in late November and surgery is going to be late January.