Recovery after surgery
At the end of the operation you will be taken from the operating theatre into the recovery area. You will have shown signs of regaining consciousness before leaving theatre and you will, during your stay in recovery, be attended to by a specialist nurse on a one to one basis, who will make sure, before returning you to the ward, that you are conscious and aware.
This does not mean necessarily that you will remember much of this episode, but clinically you will be aware and able to breathe comfortably by yourself.
In the unlikely event that you are not as well after your operation as would be expected we may bring special monitoring equipment into your room and allocate a specialist nurse to look after you on a one to one basis. This effectively turns your room into a high dependency unit and during this time only very immediate family will be allowed to visit.
On very rare occasions where intensive care facilities are required the hospital, in common with most private hospitals, has a formal arrangement with a local NHS unit, for patients to be transferred under the supervision of specially trained nurses, or operating department practitioners and doctors. The hospital has all the equipment and staff skills to nurse you intensively until the transfer can take place although this is usually done within a very short time.
