What preoperative checks do you think should have occurred? Give rationales to explain why you think these checks are important

Question

You are allocated to the role of circulating nurse to care for a 75-year-old woman undergoing a left hip hemi-arthroplasty. During the Surgical Safety Checklist it becomes apparent that incorrect prostheses have been ordered and sterilised, and no suitable alternative prostheses are available. Your patient is already anaesthetised and now needs to be woken up as the surgery cannot go ahead as planned.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer:
Checking the surgical booking information and patient consent (in preop/holding bay setting), cross-checking instrumentation and prostheses requirements against surgeon preference cards, and checking stock levels before commencement of surgery to ensure correct supply is available. All of these checks would alert the team to the incorrect prostheses. Checking such information at the time of booking may ensure your patient's surgery proceeds as planned; and checking prior to induction will prevent your patient from undergoing an unnecessary anaesthetic, having surgery cancelled and being re-scheduled for surgery at a later date.