'Helper' essential before op?

[mondaytosunday]

My son has a minor outpatient operation scheduled for 7.30am tomorrow. I live 70 miles away but will be there to collect him - I need to take a ferry so can only go at set times.
We were both surprised that they told him he'd have a general anaesthetic- but he's 20 and may have misunderstood. They have made it clear he needs someone to take him home. He was at the hospital today to go over things and all seems set.
So he just now asked if they could refuse to operate if I'm not there before they take him in? He's waited 18 months for this and it would be at least another three months before they'd rescheduled it. Could they? I said if they had doubts they could call me - but are they likely to insist someone is there before they even operate?

Yes ! I work in theatres and if a patient is having a GA (full anaesthetic) or sedation ,they have to have someone to drive them home or accompany them on public transport/taxi. So yes they will cancel if he does not have this !!

If you make it clear you will be there to take him home then they should not cancel. Apologies , i read post wrong. It is definitely policy that he will need someone to take him home /be with him 24hrs post anaesthetic. Good luck to your son and hope all goes well.

@Airyfairy99 i think OP is saying she will be there to Bring him home, but not there at 7am to drop him off (presumably they are travelling separately).

Cross post!

@mondaytosunday he should be fine. I dropped my son off for daycase (impacted wisdom teeth under general anaesthetic) outside the hospital so didn't take him in but an adult had to go and collect him from the ward afterwards.

As long as he has planned someone to take him home afterwards and can give them your contact details, this will be enough.

My adult child recently had a GA and I arranged with them to pick up after surgery. They also needed someone with them overnight so in the end I picked them up and drove the distance home.

No issues with delayed surgery due to me not being there. But they did have to give the booking-in nurse assurance that I was on my way and my contact number.

I worked in a conscious sedation department in a dental setting and if no escort attended in the morning with the patient we would contact them by phone before the procedure to ensure they knew they were needed today and to be on standby. Usually we'd ask how much notice they'd need so there won't be too much of a delay in getting the patient home. So I'm sure it will be fine if you don't attend in the morning. Best of luck to your son!

Thanks everyone! Yes I will be there to collect and stay with him for a few days.

I’ve worked in areas where patients had GAs and also elsewhere with conscious sedation. We would request details of who was collecting and confirm the patient would be supervised overnight. It’s down to the reduction in your capacity to understand risk in that time. I had one patient who gave a fake number. She did a whole ‘oh how strange! I wonder if the number is down wrong..where can my friend have got to?!’ but she blatantly faked it. In that case we had to keep her until she was 6 hours post sedation. I’ve also known patients have to stay overnight if they couldn’t be collected. Patients can make their own way there, they just need someone to collect them.

I wish I was there to take him in - I think he's a bit nervous! But I'll be there to nurse him after!