What happens at a pre-op appointment?
A pre-op visit can feel like the same questions asked over and over. Behind them, the team is trying to gather as much information as it can about your health before the operation.
Arun Verma, co-founder of Triangle · 2026-10-17
This is not clinical evidence and not medical advice. It does not replace your care team. Discuss anything here with your clinician before you act on it.
What happens at a pre-op appointment?
The team goes over your health history and your medicines, a provider does a physical exam, and tests may follow. It may be a visit with your surgeon or with your primary care provider, and MedlinePlus says you are asked about your health over the years, which it calls "taking your medical history." It is usually scheduled a few weeks before surgery. That gives your providers room to take care of any medical problems well before the operation. Not everyone has the same visit. Your surgeon will let you know whether you need a medical assessment, and some hospitals also set up a phone conversation or a visit with an anesthesia pre-op nurse.
Who will I see, and when does it happen?
It may be your surgeon or your primary care provider, usually within the month before surgery, according to MedlinePlus. If your primary care provider does the visit, a fair question is whether the hospital or surgeon receives the report from it. You may also meet someone from anesthesia. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) says you should meet with your anesthesiologist sometime before the day of surgery. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) says in its ambulatory surgery guide that your doctor may even want you to see another doctor before surgery.
What history do they go over?
Your health history, any allergies, any earlier trouble with surgery or anesthesia, and what you take. MedlinePlus's list of what to tell your surgeon includes reactions or allergies to medicines, foods, skin tapes, adhesives, iodine or other skin cleansing solutions, or latex, along with problems you had before with surgery or anesthesia, recent dental problems, and your use of alcohol or tobacco. The anesthesia side overlaps. ASA says the anesthesiologist gathers information to shape your anesthesia plan and expects to hear about your medical history, your health habits and your past experiences with surgery and anesthesia, including a bad reaction to anesthesia or pain medication that you or a family member had, and any anesthesia side effects you have had, even if they happened years ago. AHRQ's patient fact sheet names allergies, a bad reaction to anesthesia and your medications as things to tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist and nurses.
Why do they want a full list of my medicines?
Your medicines may have to be adjusted before surgery, so it matters that the team hears about everything you take. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) says to fully inform your surgical team about all your medications, including "prescriptions, vitamins, minerals, herbs, drugs, or any other supplements." MedlinePlus adds that the list covers medicines bought without a prescription and ones you do not take every day, with the dose and how often you take each. What happens to any one medicine is the team's call. AHRQ's ambulatory surgery guide says your doctor may want to stop or change some medications for a short time, and that the office will give you instructions for the days before surgery. A fair question for your surgeon is which medicines you should still take on the day of surgery.
What tests are sometimes done?
It depends on you and the operation. MedlinePlus says some tests are for all surgical patients and others are done only if you are at risk for certain health conditions. The common ones it lists, if you have not had them recently, are blood tests such as a complete blood count and blood clotting tests, a urinalysis, a chest x-ray to check your lungs and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart. Some providers or surgeons ask for other tests too, depending on your age and general health, health risks or problems you may have, and the type of surgery. Those may include lung function tests or imaging such as an MRI, CT scan or ultrasound. The anesthesia provider, your surgeon or your primary care provider can order a chest x-ray, lab tests or an ECG, according to MedlinePlus's other page. MedlinePlus says the results should reach your surgeon, which helps keep surgery from being delayed, so a fair question is who is sending yours.
Why am I asked the same questions more than once?
Many different people on your surgery team may ask, and each is gathering as much information as they can. That is MedlinePlus's explanation, and it suggests being patient when it happens. The questions can come back later too. AHRQ's ambulatory surgery guide says that as part of keeping you safe on the day of surgery you may be asked more than once to verify what kind of surgery you are having and where on your body it will be done.
What instructions come out of the visit?
Instructions from the surgical team about medicines, eating and drinking, and other steps in the days before surgery. AHRQ's ambulatory surgery guide says these usually explain whether you need to stop medications or fill new prescriptions, when to stop eating and drinking, and other instructions. On fasting, the guide's line is to ask your doctor how long you should go without eating or drinking, so the length comes from your team. If an instruction is unclear, the same guide points you to your doctor's office with questions. MedlinePlus lists a cough, fever or other illness before a test or surgery under when to call your provider.
Who takes me home after surgery?
ASA says to plan to have someone take you home after outpatient surgery. It adds that you will not be allowed to drive after outpatient surgery, or even after a few days in the hospital if you take pain medication. AHRQ says that for ambulatory surgery you may not be allowed to have the operation unless you bring someone who can take you home. It adds that many medications used during surgery affect your memory in the hours after it, and a support person can make sure you do not miss important information such as results and instructions.
Sources
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says that during the pre-op period before surgery you will meet with one of your health care providers, which may be your surgeon or primary care provider.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says that during the visit you will be asked about your health over the years, called "taking your medical history", and your provider will also do a physical exam.
- MedlinePlus: Getting yourself healthy before surgery (review date 7/6/2026): MedlinePlus says your surgeon or primary care provider will schedule an appointment, usually a few weeks before surgery, so providers can take care of any medical problems well before surgery.
- MedlinePlus: Getting yourself healthy before surgery (review date 7/6/2026): MedlinePlus says your surgeon will let you know if you need to have a medical assessment before surgery.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says some hospitals also ask you to have a phone conversation or meet with an anesthesia pre-op nurse before surgery to discuss your health.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says many different people on your surgery team may ask you the same questions because the team needs to gather as much information as they can, and says to try to be patient if you are asked more than once.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says the pre-op checkup usually needs to be done within the month before surgery.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says if you see your primary care provider for the pre-op checkup, make sure your hospital or surgeon gets the reports from the visit.
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, Made for This Moment: Preparing for Surgery, Checklist (section "What do you talk about with the anesthesiologist?" and "What should you expect right before surgery?"): ASA says that sometime before the day of surgery you should meet with your anesthesiologist so he or she can gather information to help determine the right anesthesia care plan for you.
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ's ambulatory surgery guide says your doctor may want to stop or change some medications for a short time or may even want you to see another doctor before surgery.
- MedlinePlus: Getting yourself healthy before surgery (review date 7/6/2026): MedlinePlus lists what to tell your surgeon, including reactions or allergies to medicines, foods, skin tapes, adhesives, iodine or other skin cleansing solutions, or latex; problems you had before with surgery or anesthesia; recent dental problems, such as infections or dental surgery; and your use of cigarettes or tobacco and of alcohol (the page lists other items too).
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, Made for This Moment: Preparing for Surgery, Checklist (section "What do you talk about with the anesthesiologist?" and "What should you expect right before surgery?"): ASA says to go to the anesthesiologist meeting prepared to discuss your medical history, your health habits and your past experiences with surgery and anesthesia.
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, Made for This Moment: Preparing for Surgery, Checklist (section "What do you talk about with the anesthesiologist?" and "What should you expect right before surgery?"): ASA says to tell the anesthesiologist if you or a family member has had a bad reaction to anesthesia or pain medication, and to make them aware of any anesthesia side effects you have experienced, even if they occurred years ago.
- AHRQ: Five Steps to Safer Health Care, patient fact sheet (AHRQ 04-M005): AHRQ's Five Steps fact sheet says to tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist and nurses about any allergies, bad reaction to anesthesia, and any medications you are taking.
- American College of Surgeons: Medication and Surgery: Before Your Operation (revised May 2019): ACS says your medications may have to be adjusted before your surgery.
- American College of Surgeons: Medication and Surgery: Before Your Operation (revised May 2019): ACS says it is important to fully inform your surgical team about all of the medications you are taking, including prescriptions, vitamins, minerals, herbs, drugs, or any other supplements.
- MedlinePlus: Getting yourself healthy before surgery (review date 7/6/2026): MedlinePlus says to bring a list of medicines you are taking, including medicines bought without a prescription and medicines you do not take every day, with the dose and how often you take them.
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ's ambulatory surgery guide says your doctor may want to stop or change some medications for a short time, and that your doctor's office will give you instructions to follow in the days before surgery.
- MedlinePlus: Getting yourself healthy before surgery (review date 7/6/2026): MedlinePlus says to ask your surgeon which medicines you should still take on the day of your surgery.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says some tests are for all surgical patients and others are done only if you are at risk for certain health conditions.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus lists common tests a surgeon may ask for if you have not had them recently: blood tests such as a complete blood count (CBC) and blood clotting tests (its list has other blood tests too), urinalysis, a chest x-ray to check your lungs, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says other tests some providers or surgeons ask for depend on your age and general health, health risks or problems you may have, and the type of surgery you are having.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says the other tests may include lung function tests and imaging tests such as an MRI scan, CT scan or ultrasound test (its list has other tests too).
- MedlinePlus: Getting yourself healthy before surgery (review date 7/6/2026): MedlinePlus says you may also have a chest x-ray, lab tests or an electrocardiogram (ECG) ordered by the anesthesia provider, your surgeon or your primary care provider before surgery.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus says to make sure the providers who do your pre-op tests send the results to your surgeon, which helps keep your surgery from being delayed.
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ's ambulatory surgery guide says your doctor's office will give you instructions to follow in the days before surgery, which usually explain whether you need to stop medications or fill new prescriptions, when to stop eating and drinking before surgery, and other instructions, and to follow all directions carefully.
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ says, on fasting, to ask your doctor how long you should go without eating or drinking before your surgery.
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ says that if you are confused about anything, call your doctor's office and ask questions.
- MedlinePlus: Tests and visits before surgery (review date 1/1/2026): MedlinePlus, under "When to Call the Doctor", says to contact your provider if you have a cough, fever or other illness before any test or surgery.
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ says your care team takes steps to make surgery as safe as possible, for example you may be asked more than once to verify what kind of surgery you are having and where on your body it will be done (day-of-surgery section, ambulatory surgery).
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, Made for This Moment: Preparing for Surgery, Checklist (section "What do you talk about with the anesthesiologist?" and "What should you expect right before surgery?"): ASA says you won't be allowed to drive after outpatient surgery, or even after a few days in the hospital if you're taking pain medication, and to plan to have someone take you home.
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ says you may not be allowed to have the surgery unless you bring someone with you who can take you home (ambulatory surgery).
- AHRQ: Getting Ready for Your Ambulatory Surgery (last reviewed August 2017): AHRQ says many medications used to keep you comfortable during surgery will affect your memory in the hours after surgery, and a support person can make sure you don't miss any important information such as results and instructions.
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