Care of the surgical patient: preoperative care

Introduction

This article is part one of a series covering care of the surgical patient.

Surgery is a critical part of healthcare, which offers individuals life-changing interventions for various medical conditions. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was estimated that 8 million surgical procedures were performed each year, costing the NHS approximately £10.6 billion (Abbott et al, 2017). The number of surgical procedures decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, following the pandemic, surgical admissions increased to even greater than pre-pandemic numbers (Dobbs et al, 2021). Advancements in surgical techniques, such as minimally invasive approaches (eg using robotic technology), are resulting in the development of innovative strategies within perioperative medicine and the delivery of better outcomes (Kinoshita et al, 2022).

It is critical for nurses to understand the perioperative journey in order to successfully educate, support and create positive outcomes for surgical patients. When working as part of a wider multidisciplinary team,