Day surgery and covid/mask wearing

[Lovemusic33]

I’m due to have surgery this week, just a day surgery but I’m getting anxious about being masked all day, I have PTSD after sexual assault and although I have coped ok with the mask wearing I do struggle especially when feel unwell and anxious.

I haven’t really been told what to expect, will I need to be masked at all times? Will I be masked after surgery when I will be feeling groggy? I am having GA and 2 small surgeries, hoping I will be home the same day.

It probably varies from trust to trust but I expect yes, they'll want you in a mask certainly for the booking in.

Have you been asked to isolate and/or test beforehand?

Good luck. PTSD is a horrible thing.

Depends on your hospital policy. At mine, it's masks when you are an outpatient and for all appointments, but once on a ward or in your own cubicle you don't need to wear one.

Anaesthetist here. Obviously every hospital's practice may vary slightly, but we have our patients come down to the anaesthetic room in a mask, then take it off before we send them too sleep. We don't put it back on when waking people up, they go to recovery with an oxygen mask. I think the recovery staff give them a fresh mask to put on before they go back to the ward, so you should be more awake by then. Hope it all goes well!

Thank you, that's really helpful, I was worrying about waking up with a mask on.

Im having my covid test this morning and isolating until surgery on Thursday.

I will be on a ward and as far as im aware there won't be many others in the ward as they are not doing as many surgeries at the moment. Hoping i will be able to return home by the evening.