Medical Oncologist
Before your operation
Preparing for surgery: the practical checklist
Three things matter more than everything else: stop smoking if you smoke, arrange someone to be with you for the first few days, and get your medicine instructions in writing. The rest is packing and paperwork. This page is the practical checklist, including the well-meant preparation advice that actually works against you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
What should I actually do before surgery?
Three things matter more than everything else: stop smoking if you smoke, arrange someone to be with you for the first few days, and get your medicine instructions in writing. The rest is packing and paperwork, which is easier than it looks.
Why stopping smoking is first on the list
It narrows the small blood vessels that keep your wound and your skin alive. It raises the risk of infection, of the wound breaking down and, if you are having reconstruction, of losing the skin or the implant. Even a few weeks without makes a measurable difference.
Why the help at home matters
You will not be able to lift, reach above your head or drive for a while, and you may come home with a drain. Women who arrange this in advance recover more comfortably than those who improvise on the second day.
What you can safely ignore
Special diets, detoxes and supplements marketed for surgery. Eating normally and keeping your weight up is what helps healing. Anything that thins the blood, including some herbal preparations, actively works against you.
Tell your team about every supplement you take. Some affect bleeding and are stopped before surgery.Packing
What to take to hospital
- Admission letter, identity proof, insurance or scheme papers
- All reports and scans, including older ones
- Every medicine you take, in its own packet
- Front-opening tops, because raising your arms will be sore
- A soft non-wired bra, if your team advised one
- Slip-on shoes and loose comfortable trousers
- Phone, a long charging cable and a power bank
- The name and number of the person collecting you
At home
What to sort out before you go in
An afternoon of preparation saves a great deal of difficulty in the first week.
Move things down to waist height
Cooking things, clothes, plates. Reaching above your head will be uncomfortable and, after armpit surgery, is limited for a while. Doing this beforehand is the single most useful hour you can spend.
Cook and freeze a few meals
Or arrange who will cook. Standing at a stove with a drain in and a sore chest is harder than people expect in the first week.
Plan for two weeks, not two days.Sort work and money early
Ask your team for a letter setting out the likely dates. Insurance and scheme approvals have to be arranged before admission rather than claimed afterwards.
Set up a comfortable place to sleep
Many women find sleeping propped up on pillows easier for the first week, particularly after a mastectomy. Get the pillows ready rather than hunting for them at midnight.
Also worth doing
- Fill any regular prescriptions
- Arrange childcare for the first week
- Put the ward number somewhere visible
Not sure whether this applies to you?
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The countdown
What to do, and when
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As soon as you have a date
Stop smoking. Arrange leave and help at home. Confirm insurance or scheme approval in writing. Ask whether you need a pre-operative assessment appointment and when.
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A week or two before
Pre-operative assessment: bloods, a heart tracing if needed, and the anaesthetist. Bring every medicine. Ask which to take on the morning and which to hold, and get it in writing.
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A few days before
Prepare the house, cook and freeze meals, buy front-opening tops. Stop any supplement your team asked you to stop. Confirm who is taking you and collecting you.
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The night before
Stop eating at the time you were told. Remove nail varnish and jewellery. Shower with the soap you were given if you were given one. Pack the bag and put the reports in it.
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The morning
Take only the medicines you were told to take, with a sip of water. Arrive at the time on the letter, even though you will wait. Bring the charger.
Being straight with you
What preparation can and cannot do
Preparation makes the week around surgery easier and genuinely lowers the chance of wound problems. It does not change your cancer, your stage or your prognosis, and no amount of preparation will alter what the pathology report says.
Do not let preparation become another burden
Women sometimes arrive exhausted from weeks of trying to get perfectly fit. Walking daily, eating normally and sleeping properly is the whole of it. Anything that leaves you more tired is working against you.
Weight loss before surgery is usually the wrong goal
Losing weight quickly before an operation reduces the reserves you need for healing. Unless your surgeon has specifically asked you to, eat normally. This is the opposite of the advice people expect, and it is what the evidence supports.
Ask before you stop anything
Blood thinners, diabetes medicines and steroids all need a plan, and stopping the wrong one carries a real risk. The rule is simple: declare everything, stop nothing unless told, and get the instructions written down.
Commonly believed
What people are told to do before surgery
She should go on a strict diet to be lighter for the operation.
Rapid weight loss before surgery reduces the reserves needed for wound healing and recovery. Unless your surgeon has specifically asked, eat normally and keep your weight up. This is one of the most common well-meant mistakes families make.
Herbal tonics will build her strength beforehand.
Several affect bleeding or interact with anaesthetic drugs, and they are the most commonly undeclared thing at the assessment. Bring the packets and let the team decide. Nobody will criticise you for taking them.
Stopping smoking now is pointless, the surgery is next week.
Even a short period without smoking improves the oxygen reaching your skin and lowers the chance of chest problems after the anaesthetic. It is never too late to help, and it matters most if you are having reconstruction.
Asking for help afterwards is a burden on the family.
You will not be able to lift, reach up or drive for a while, and you may come home with a drain. Arranging help in advance is practical planning, not weakness, and it is what makes the first fortnight manageable.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about preparing
How long will I need help at home?
Plan for two weeks, and expect to need less by the end of the first. After a lumpectomy many women manage alone within days; after a mastectomy with reconstruction it is considerably longer. Arrange more help than you think you need, because it is easier to cancel than to find.
Should I buy a special bra?
Ask your breast care nurse first, because it depends on your operation. A soft, front-fastening, non-wired bra is usually what is advised, and some units supply one. Buy it before you go in, since shopping for one afterwards is uncomfortable.
Can I take my regular medicines that morning?
Some yes, some no, and it is decided at your pre-operative assessment. Blood thinners and diabetes medicines in particular have specific instructions. Ask for them in writing rather than relying on memory, and bring the list with you.
What if I am the only carer for someone at home?
Say so early to your breast care nurse. This is a common situation and hospitals can sometimes help with timing, length of stay and social support. Leaving it unsaid is what turns it into a crisis on the day.
Do I need to do exercises before surgery?
Gentle daily walking is worth it. Some units also teach shoulder exercises beforehand so you already know them for afterwards, which genuinely helps. Ask whether physiotherapy before surgery is available to you.
Should I shave under my arm?
Do not shave in the days before surgery. Small nicks raise the infection risk. If hair needs removing, the theatre team does it with clippers immediately beforehand, which is safer than a razor at home.
What about my jewellery and religious items?
Rings, chains and anything metal are removed before theatre. Tell the nurse if an item cannot be removed for religious reasons, because it can usually be taped rather than taken off. Leave valuables at home.
Will I be able to drive afterwards?
Not for at least a week or two, and longer after a mastectomy or armpit clearance. You must be able to perform an emergency stop and turn the wheel without pain. Check your insurance terms, since some require you to be signed fit.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Medical Oncologist
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Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
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Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Talk to our team
Speak to a breast cancer specialist
Call the helpline or leave your details, and someone will help you arrange a consultation at the CION centre nearest you. One helpline serves every CION centre.
Call 1800 202 8726
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Preparing for cancer surgery
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to treat cancer
- Breast Cancer Now — Going into hospital for breast surgery
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.