Surgery is a common treatment for cancer, there are many different types of operations from simple to more complex . Surgery can be recommended for a number of reasons
- to make a diagnosis of cancer
- to remove the cancer
- to help with the symptoms of cancer
- to prevent complications of cancer from happening
The operation that you have will depend upon your situation. Some operations are done as a day case and you don't need to stay in hospital overnight and other operations take longer to recover from and you may need to stay in hospital for a few days, your surgeon and nurse specialist will talk to you about what to expect.
If you decide that surgery is the right treatment for you, you will be given some written information about the specific operation that you are having, Your doctor or nurse will talk you through a consent form and you will be asked to sign this consent form, you will be given a copy to keep. You might want to ask your doctor or nurse
- what your surgery is for?
- how you can prepare for surgery?
- what side effects or complications could happen?
- how you will recover following surgery?
- what extra help you will need at home in the days after surgery?
