In order to have the best outcome, and a simple, quick recovery from surgery, there are a few things you are going to need to do prior to coming to the hospital. Having parathyroid surgery with us is a huge advantage to you because the operations are typically quick and bloodless. This means very little stress on your body and a very quick recovery.

However, before any operation there are steps to take to make sure things turn out well, so here they are:

— Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the day before surgery.

— Stop your aspirin and other blood thinners 5 days before surgery. The list of drugs in this category includes baby aspirin, Coumadin (warfarin), Pradaxa, and Plavix. If you can’t stop these drugs for some medical reason, we will still operate on you, but we need to know.  You re-start these drugs the evening of surgery (the same night).

— Patients taking Eliquis and Xarelto should stop these drugs TWO days before surgery. So you skip 2 days. You will re-start this the morning AFTER surgery.

— If you are on heart medication, blood pressure medication, anti-seizure or transplant anti-rejection medication, or Alzheimer’s medications and you normally take them in the morning, then we ask you to still take these with a tiny sip of water. If your blood pressure medication is a diuretic then do not take that in the morning (HCTZ, Lasix, furosemide).

— Thyroid medications can be taken the morning of surgery with a sip of water. All other medications should be taken after your operation.

— If you are taking any weight loss drug that may include the ingredients: Phentermine, Phendimetrazine or Benzphetamine, you must stop 2 weeks prior to your surgery (this is for everybody that gets any form of anesthesia).

— Alcohol: The night before it is OK to have one alcoholic beverage, but no more. Same goes for the night of surgery, but remember, you will have anesthesia drugs in your system and one alcoholic beverage can be very powerful. You already know you can’t drive the day of surgery. Be smart!

— Re-start all of your medications the evening of surgery, or the next day.

Let’s get rid of some of those medications!

Most people cured of a parathyroid problem can cut back on their blood pressure medications in 6-9 months after surgery. So talk to your doctors about this, and start looking for ways to cut back on the medications that you take. The vast majority of our patients are on several medications just to treat the symptoms and side-effects of the hyperparathyroidism. So talk to your doctor and get off of some of those darn drugs! Most of our patients can get rid of HALF of the drugs they are on months after the parathyroid problem has been fixed.