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General Information - About your Operation - Follow-up - Fees

Anyone about to undergo an operation is naturally apprehensive. In order to assist your preparation, we would appreciate it if you would read the following prior to your consultation or admission to hospital. Be assured that the aim of everyone you will meet in our team is to make your stay as comfortable as possible, and that the very best of modern technology will be used to speed your recovery.

Please click a link below for more information on:

Your operation
Hospital Booking
Assistants
Anaesthetist
Off-Duty Cover
Radiology
Follow-up
Removal of Sutures/Staples
Pathology tests
Fees

Your operation

We want you to be happy with the plans for your surgery. Please ask if there are any questions on the following:

• The reasons for your operation and possible alternative options
• Any risks involved
• The chances of a successful outcome
• The length of hospital stay
• The amount of time off work required
• Any out of pocket expenses
• Your post-operative appointment
• Sick certificates

We pride ourselves on the care we offer our patients. If you have any questions before surgery, we want to answer them to your satisfaction as soon possible.

Hospital Booking

Our office staff will arrange your hospital booking. These arrangements may include a pre-admission health check by the hospital several days prior to admission. If you are in doubt about your level of health cover, please check with your health fund prior to admission. You maybe admitted on the day prior to, or on the day of your operation, at the discretion of A/Prof Carney.

Assistants

For larger operations, A/Prof Carney will require an assistant. The assistant is often a surgeon, or someone with experience in the procedure being performed. This will not usually involve an extra fee but in some cases, health funds refuse to pay an assistants fee and then you would incur an extra cost.

Anaesthetist

Your anaesthetist is arranged at the time of hospital booking. They will normally visit you in hospital just prior to your operation to do a physical examination and arrange any test or pre-medication they feel necessary. It is very important to stop smoking completely at least 4 weeks before a general anesthetic. Most anesthetists charge an extra gap payment. Please contact the anesthetist's rooms to find out how much this will be.

Off-Duty Cover

A/Prof Carney runs a single handed practice and is the only ENT surgeon working from Flinders Private Hospital . Following your surgery, A/ Prof Carney will always be available for the first 48 hours to attend to any problems personally.

Radiology

Please bring all of your x-rays, scans and reports to the hospital. It is often unsafe to proceed with surgery without scans and in some cases your operation may need to be cancelled.

Follow-up

While in hospital, you will be visited daily by A/Prof Carney. Your follow-up appointment will probably have been made prior to surgery. If not, we will arrange this prior to discharge. Your care over this period is our responsibility. Reports of your progress will be sent to your GP or referring doctor at regular intervals and on completion of your treatment.

In the rare event that a problem occurs some time following surgery, Associate Prof Carney may have other commitments that would prevent him from attending personally. In such a case, there is always a Consultant on-call through the Accident and Emergency Departments at Flinders Medical Centre. There is also always a registrar on-call to deal with acute ENT emergencies.Should another ENT Surgeon be involved in your treatment, A/Prof Carney will make every possible attempt to transfer you back under his care as soon as possible.If you have any questions regarding this, please ask A/Prof Carney personally whilst in hospital.

Removal of Sutures/Staples

Most ENT procedures do not require sutures or use self-absorbing stitches. If you need sutures removed after discharge from hospital, an appointment for suture removal will be arranged. Sometimes after discharge from hospital, a problem may arise which causes you some concern, for example the wound may weep a little. If you have any post-operative problems, please phone our rooms first. This will usually resolve any questions, and if necessary an appointment can be made for you to be seen. If the situation is urgent, it may be necessary to attend FMC A&E Dept.

Pathology tests

Although we do not routinely send tonsils and adenoids for pathological analysis, in some cases we will do so, especially if we suspect another condition. In many other operations, tissues removed at operation are sent to the pathologist for examination, as only the microscope can reveal unsuspected conditions. It is in your long term interest that this is done.

Fees