Pre-Op Blood Work

[Kreuzfidel]

Hi, guys.  My top surgery is scheduled for 23 January 2014.  As I live in a different state to my surgeon, so will be required to travel and remain in Sydney for 2 weeks after my surgery.

My question is regarding pre-op blood work, though.  I received the paperwork with the order for blood work, which I can take to my local pathologist and they, presumably, mail the results back to my surgeon.  I went today and they turned me away stating that the pre-op blood work needs to be done only 2 weeks before my surgery.  Well I think that may be cutting it fine considering I live states away and the results would need to be mailed back - and I don't want to chance them getting lost in the post and delaying my surgery.

So my question is this - how long before your surgery did you have your pre-op blood work done?  Thanks, guys.

[aleon515]

Can the results be faxed?
I thought that was the usual way this sort of info was passed along.

--Jay

[Bimmer Guy]

30 days.

[Kreuzfidel]

Aleon515, no - my blood work results are sent directly to her office via courier.  And now I've learned that her office will be closed from 13 December until just 3 days before my surgery (20 January) - so I don't know what to do or when to have the blood test done.

[Jack_M]

Well first thing's first. Phone the surgeon's contact number and ask directly! That's the only way to be sure.

Your GP should get results in a day or two and they'll know themselves if anything means you can't get surgery so it should be fine for surgeon to get them close to surgery. And while your at it, tell your country to get with the 21st century!  Lol!  Couriers?  Really???  In Canada, I get my results online and my notes are updated electronically so the doc has the results as they're processed. Far more efficient than any carbon footprint nightmare of printed paper and transport of said paper; not to mention the speed advantage.

[aleon515]

Aleon515, no - my blood work results are sent directly to her office via courier.  And now I've learned that her office will be closed from 13 December until just 3 days before my surgery (20 January) - so I don't know what to do or when to have the blood test done.

Well that's rather old fashioned. Pretty much think everything is communicated electronically these days. I agree with Jack, they have fax machines in your country! Call the surgeon and see if they can get these folks from sending your stuff pony express (an old system that was used in the US where everythign was sent by horse!)

--Jay

[Kreuzfidel]

Thanks for the responses, guys.  They won't send them by fax - only by courier and I don't really understand why.  I hope that my GP gets a copy of the results - I'm totally stuffed if they get lost in the post.  I know that sounds paranoid, but being interstate, there's a huge sum of money going to be sunk into this trip and time off work, etc. 

I intend to go back to the pathologist and tell them that they need the results before 13 December as no one will be in the office until just 3 days prior to my surgery - and if there's something amiss with my results, I don't want to be in Sydney two days before my operation to find out that I can't go ahead with it!  So annoyed *sigh*

[Jack_M]

I urge you to get in touch with the surgeon's office.  Results from well over a month before the surgery aren't much use.  At most it really should be 2 weeks, 30 days at an absolute push.  I would really try phoning the surgeon's office and finding what they need.  If you go through all this hassle and the results are useless, then that's going to be a bigger overall hassle, as in potentially no surgery!

[LordKAT]

Blood work or even a physical was required within a few weeks before surgery unless an emergency whenever I had one. I assume that is normal and actually makes sense.

[Kreuzfidel]

Thanks for the responses, guys.  I've emailed my surgeon's office so I suppose I'll wait and see.

The complicating factor is that there will be no one in the offices from 13th of December until just 3 days before my surgery.  I guess I don't understand how they're going to even receive my results when they're posted.  I do also plan to have my own GP do the same blood tests a couple of weeks before the surgery and take those with me - in addition to the posted results that my surgeon ordered.  That way at least I have a back-up, I guess.

[kelly_aus]

They are couried ostensibly for privacy reasons.. And the results generally only take a couple of days to get.

[aleon515]

They are couried ostensibly for privacy reasons.. And the results generally only take a couple of days to get.

I don't understand this as a fax is private, and lab results aren't hugely sensitive anyway.

--Jay

[Kreuzfidel]

I don't understand it either, aleon515.  I can't do anything about it, though - so I've decided to just have the surgeon's request done within 30 days of my surgery and then have my GP do a duplicate test a couple of weeks before - that way I have a backup.  Better safe than sorry. 

[Cindy]

If you use one of the private companies that have labs in each state they should be able to transfer data very easily.  Healthscope on Goodwood Rd would be one. The IMVS if you want to go public will have the results to NSW in 24 hrs as well. It is routine. We FAX results all the time.

I do work for medics in Darwin and they have results in 24 hrs or less.

[aleon515]

I don't understand it either, aleon515.  I can't do anything about it, though - so I've decided to just have the surgeon's request done within 30 days of my surgery and then have my GP do a duplicate test a couple of weeks before - that way I have a backup.  Better safe than sorry.

Sounds like they are set on it. I don't know how free you are to go to another lab if needed. I think the range of blood tests needed for surgery takes two-three days.

Cindy is in Australia too. Just odd little quirks of the lab I guess.


--Jay