The details of your surgery will be explained during your consultation. Dr Rowe will give you an idea regarding what to expect both in the short and long term after your operation. If you have more than simple local anaesthetic, your anaesthetist, who is arranged by Dr Rowe and usually works routinely with Dr Rowe, will assist with post-operative pain relief and any other supportive treatments required. It is vital you let your anaesthetist know your full medical history and medication list. If your surgery is quite major, your anaesthetist may contact you prior to the date of surgery for more information and may request some investigations to help with keeping you safe during your anaesthetic.

You should receive a “Post-Operative Care” brochure following your procedure. If not, you can download a copy below.

If you have surgery in Minor Ops in Dr Rowe’s rooms, your follow up details will be written in this brochure.  If you have misplaced it, please contact us and we will let you know what you need to do for follow up.

If you have surgery as a Day Case in hospital, you should still receive a brochure, and possibly a copy of your operation note, which may detail your immediate follow-up appointment. If not, you will be contacted by Dr Rowe’s staff to arrange an appointment. Usually, this appointment would be around 1 week after your surgery, so if you don’t have such an appointment, definitely contact us!

More complex surgery will require a stay in hospital. You will usually be under the care of the excellent nursing team lead by Sr Liz Bates  RN on ward 37, Greenslopes Hospital. Occasionally, however, you may be “out lied” to another ward, and unfortunately, this is not under the control of Dr Rowe but is due to hospital operational constraints (Ward 37 may be full!!).

Regardless of which ward you are in, Dr Rowe will usually see you the following morning on his rounds to ensure you are well and receiving the care you need to recover. You may also be seen by his junior medical staff who will help ensure you recover quickly and with as little discomfort as possible. Your surgery and stay will usually be at Greenslopes Hospital, but occasionally will be at another facility in Brisbane. Dr Rowe will still see you there, but it may be at varied times due to other clinical commitments each day. Obviously, Dr Rowe is always available if there are any problems or complications.

Your recovery will usually be discussed with you at your initial consultation, but always feel free to ask questions at any stage in your surgical journey. Your stay in hospital will depend on many factors, but Dr Rowe will give you an idea of how long your stay will be, at your consultation pre-operatively.