I have my pre op this coming Wednesday and the lumpectomy and lymph removal a week later.
I know there is no driving for 2 weeks after the op but is it ok to drive after the pre op. I shall be having a wired inserted with local anaesthetic I presume.
Can any one advise please?
Also what to expect and tips would help. I’ve been told the pre op can take 2-3 hours.
Many thanks for advice and suggestions.
Hi Astra,
Are you sure you are having a wire inserted at the pre-op? I suggest you check with the breast care nurse re driving after.
Sometimes hospitals refer to a pre-op meeting when they take your medical history, do blood tests, height, weight (in readiness for the op the following week, to inform amount and type of anaesthetic etc) and that’s it - hence perhaps double check if they are actually inserting a wire at that appointment. (I didn’t have a wire so different situation).
I hope it all goes well.
Seabreeze x
Hello Astra,
I had the same pre op and surgery end of July. The ordinary pre op assessment is height/weight, blood test/ blood pressure/ history taking and explanation of the surgery etc.
The wire insertion procedure is a local anaesthetic for insertion of wires by ultrasound, followed by a mammogram to check the position of the wires are right. Next is second injection in the nuclear medicine department (sounds scary doesn’t it?)
I found both the procedures okay and better than I expected. The local anaesthetic was quick acting - but say if they need to wait a few more minutes so that it is painless. I found the mammogram less uncomfortable than usual as the operator didn’t need to press as hard. The second injection stung a bit but was fine. Staff were all lovely. There was a fair bit of waiting around,
No problem in driving yourself home afterwards. I recommend having coffee, cuppa and cake after so you can sit down, rest and recover emotionally. This, for me, was when it all became a reality and I just needed to take some time to process everything.
I hope your all goes well for you for next week and for your surgery.
Hope this helps.
Sandpiper
Hi, we are all different, but personally I’d advise against driving yourself to/from hospital as if the staff think you are at risk of driving safely (upset, nauseous or such) they might postpone your treatment if you don’t have someone with you to get you home calmly and safely. My team explained that insurance company may not pay out if they discover you are a cancer patient.