It is the patient’s duty to make sure that the medical aid will cover the costs of the procedure. The patient should contact the medical aid and obtain the necessary information. Some medical aids demand a co-payment. This means you have to pay when you arrive at the hospital. Please find out from your medical aid and from the hospital how much your co-payment will be and then be sure you have enough money with you when you arrive for admission.
Take your ID book, Medical Aid card, and completed pre-admission form with you.
Be sure to bath or shower at home before you come to the hospital. Wash you hair and face well. Cleanliness reduces the risk of infection
If you have a hearing aid, bring it with you to the hospital and keep it in at all times.
Information for all patients going for operations at
Lakefield Surgical Centre
Do not eat or drink for 8 hours before admission time except that you may drink a small glass of water in the morning before leaving for the clinic. You may also take your usual medications with this water if it is necessary to take them in the morning. Diabetics, however, should not take any medication or injections as these must always be taken with food.
If you get nauseous after anaesthetics tell this to the nurses or anaesthetist and he will give you something to prevent this. You may also ask for medication to relax you.
Bring any medication that you are taking with you (eg pumps for asthma, eye drops).
You do not need to bring pyjamas with you. Just wear ordinary clean clothes. Do not wear any jewellery.
Do not wear make-up on your face and eyes.
Do not wear a bun in your hair at the back (you have to lie on the back of your head for the surgery)
Do not put on perfume, strong smelling hairspray, etc. The fumes given off by these chemicals can interfere with the laser beams.
The time given to you (and written on your pre-admission form) is the time that you should arrive at Lakefield Surgical Centre. It is not the time of operation. Please tell the person who is bringing you to the hospital to bring along a book to read as there may be a long wait before your turn for surgery.
Bring your cell phone with you but switch it to silent.
Private patients (not on a medical aid): You can pay by cash or direct bank deposit or credit card to your eye specialist who will tell you how much it will be. This deposit will usually cover the entire bill but if the operation takes longer than expected or if there are complications then you may receive an extra bill from the hospital.
