PATIENT TOOL

Your surgery day, hour by hour

Most anxiety before surgery is about the unknown parts of the day itself. This walkthrough removes them: from the night before to the moment you go home, including what your family should expect while they wait.

An educational walkthrough, not medical advice. Your team's instructions on the day always come first.

Exact timings, rooms, and routines vary from day to day and patient to patient. Treat the clock words here as the shape of the day, not a schedule; the team gives you your own times at the pre-anaesthesia check and at admission.

Your surgery day · Dr. Vishnu Baburaj, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Aster MIMS Kannur

drvishnubaburaj.com/your-surgery-day · Helpline 0497 353 8000 · Emergency 9656 111 666

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Step 1 · Which day is yours?

Joint replacement day: from the night before to going home

At a glance

Hospital stay

3 to 5 nights

Time in theatre

About 1 to 2 hours

First steps

Same day or next morning

Going home

Day 3 to 5

Step 2 · Move through the day

Night before

Early morning

Mid-morning

Towards theatre

The operation

Recovery room

Afternoon

First night

Days after

Night before Step 1 of 9 · Joint replacement day

The night before

A few nerves tonight are completely normal. A packed bag and a clear plan quiet most of them.

What happens

Pack light: loose clothing, slip-on footwear with grip, your medicine list and reports folder, insurance papers, phone and charger
Eat a normal, unhurried dinner, then follow the exact fasting instructions from your pre-anaesthesia check; when eating stops, and whether sips of water are allowed, was decided there, not by any general rule
Take or hold your regular medicines exactly as instructed, especially diabetes and blood-thinning tablets
Bathe as advised and sleep early; rest tonight is worth more than reading about surgery

For your attendant

Confirm the reporting time, plan the drive (parking is available on the hospital premises), and keep the reports and insurance documents together in one folder.

Good to know: A new fever, cough, loose motion, or a skin problem near the joint overnight is worth a call to the helpline 0497 353 8000 first thing in the morning, before you set out.

Towards theatre Step 4 of 9 · Joint replacement day

The anaesthesia moment

The spinal injection surprises most patients by how ordinary it feels: pressure in the back, then warmth and heaviness spreading down the legs.

What happens

In the theatre complex, monitors are attached: a blood pressure cuff, ECG stickers, and a soft oxygen clip on one finger
Most joint replacements are done under spinal anaesthesia: a fine injection in the lower back while you sit curled forward, and within minutes the legs turn warm, heavy, and completely numb
Sedation usually goes with it, so most patients doze through the operation and remember very little of it
General anaesthesia is chosen when it suits you better; the anaesthetist decides this with you beforehand, and your preference is part of that conversation

For your attendant

The wait begins now. Preparation, anaesthesia, the operation, and the recovery room each take their own time, so a long silence is normal and is not bad news.

The operation Step 5 of 9 · Joint replacement day

Inside the operating theatre

Bright, cool, and calm. If you are awake under the spinal you hear quiet routine: instruments, monitors, short exchanges. You feel pressure and movement, never pain.

What happens

Before anything begins, the whole team pauses for a final time-out check: your name, the operation, the side
You are positioned and draped, and a screen keeps the surgical field out of your view
For robotic knee replacements, the CORI system maps your knee in 3D during the operation itself, with no separate CT scan, and guides the implant position to your own anatomy
The operation itself commonly takes about one to two hours; the total time away from your room is longer, and the difference is preparation and recovery, not trouble

For your attendant

Once the operation is over, the team shares an update and the patient moves to the recovery room. Ask at admission how updates reach you, so you know what to expect.

Afternoon Step 7 of 9 · Joint replacement day

Back in your room

The deep arthritis ache is often already different. Surgical soreness is expected, and it is managed on a schedule, not on demand.

What happens

Your vitals settle, and you usually start sips and then food within a few hours, as the team advises
Pain medication runs on a fixed schedule; say so early if you feel pain creeping up rather than waiting it out
The physiotherapist often visits the same day: most patients stand and take their first steps with a walker the same evening or the next morning
Leg compression sleeves or similar measures may be used in the first days to support circulation

For your attendant

One attendant usually stays. Help with sips, spectacles, and the phone, and let the staff handle all lifting and moving.

Days after Step 9 of 9 · Joint replacement day

The days after, and going home

Each day is visibly better than the last: further down the corridor, fewer attachments, more of your own routine.

What happens

Physiotherapy runs daily: walking practice, stairs before discharge, and the exercises you will continue at home
Most patients go home between the third and fifth day, once walking, pain control, and the wound are all on track
At discharge you receive your medicines with a written plan, wound-care and physiotherapy instructions, and your follow-up date

For your attendant

Discharge day has its own paperwork, pharmacy, and insurance clearance, which can take a few hours; plan the ride home with the front seat pushed well back.

Good to know: From here, the week-by-week story continues on the recovery timelines page, including what is usually normal and exactly when to call us.

The day ends here, but the story continues: week-by-week milestones, what is usually normal, and when to call us.

Recovery timelines

Arthroscopy day: from the night before to going home

At a glance

Hospital stay

Usually 1 night

Time in theatre

About 1 to 2 hours

Moving about

Same evening, with support

Going home

Usually the next morning

Step 2 · Move through the day

Night before

Early morning

Mid-morning

Towards theatre

The operation

Recovery room

Evening

Next morning

Night before Step 1 of 8 · Arthroscopy day

The night before

Keyhole surgery still deserves a proper night's preparation, just with a lighter bag.

What happens

Pack for one night: loose clothing, slip-on footwear, your medicine list and reports, insurance papers, phone and charger
If you were asked to arrange crutches, a knee brace, or a sling in advance, keep them with the bag tonight
Follow the exact fasting instructions from your pre-anaesthesia check, and take or hold your regular medicines exactly as instructed
Bathe as advised and sleep early

For your attendant

Confirm the reporting time and plan the drive; parking is available on the premises. One attendant should plan to stay the night.

Good to know: A new fever, cough, or skin problem near the joint overnight is worth a call to the helpline 0497 353 8000 before you set out.

Towards theatre Step 4 of 8 · Arthroscopy day

The anaesthesia moment

Numbness, heaviness, or simply a calm sleep: strange for an hour, gone by the next day.

What happens

Monitors are attached first: a blood pressure cuff, ECG stickers, and an oxygen clip on one finger
Knee arthroscopy and ACL reconstruction are often done under spinal anaesthesia: numb from the waist down, usually with sedation so you doze
Shoulder arthroscopy is usually done under general anaesthesia, often with a nerve block that keeps the shoulder comfortable and numb well into the night
The anaesthetist chooses the approach with you beforehand, and your preference is part of that conversation

For your attendant

The wait starts here and runs through the operation and the recovery room; a quiet few hours is the normal shape of it.

The operation Step 5 of 8 · Arthroscopy day

Inside the operating theatre

Under sedation or general anaesthesia, the next thing most patients register is the recovery room. Awake under a spinal, you hear calm routine and feel movement without pain.

What happens

The team pauses for the time-out check of your name, operation, and side before anything begins
The surgeon works through two or three small openings: a fine camera in one, instruments in the others, with the joint viewed on a screen throughout
Repairs such as ACL reconstruction or rotator cuff repair commonly take about an hour, sometimes closer to two; simpler procedures are shorter
The openings are closed with a few small stitches and covered with a padded dressing

For your attendant

The team shares an update once the operation is over and the patient has moved to the recovery room.

Next morning Step 8 of 8 · Arthroscopy day

Overnight stay, then home

Patients here stay at least one night rather than rushing out the same evening; the morning after is calmer for it.

What happens

The team checks the dressing and the joint, and the physiotherapist recaps your home exercises and walking or sling instructions
You receive your medicines with a written plan, your follow-up date, and the plan for stitch removal, usually around two weeks
Most patients go home during the course of the next morning, once the checks are done

For your attendant

Discharge paperwork, pharmacy, and insurance clearance take a little time; start them early and plan a comfortable ride home.

Good to know: From here, the week-by-week story continues on the recovery timelines page, with separate timelines for ACL reconstruction and rotator cuff repair.

The day ends here, but the story continues: week-by-week milestones, what is usually normal, and when to call us.

Recovery timelines

Every surgical day is planned around the patient it belongs to, so yours will differ in its details. The instructions your team gives you always override this page.

Before or after

Chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or fainting are emergencies at any point: go to the nearest casualty or call 9656 111 666. Aster MIMS Kannur runs 24/7 emergency and trauma care.

Why we wrote the day down

Patients rarely fear the operation they understand; they fear the corridor, the wait, and the parts nobody described. Modern enhanced-recovery surgery is a carefully rehearsed routine, and knowing that routine in advance changes how the day feels, for the patient and for the family member in the waiting area.

If you are still preparing, the surgery preparation checklist organises the weeks before this day. And if a question is not answered here, bring it to your consultation: booking takes two minutes.

Common questions

The day of surgery, answered

Will I be awake during my joint replacement?

Most joint replacements are done under spinal anaesthesia with sedation: the legs are completely numb and most patients doze through the operation, remembering very little. You may feel pressure and movement, never pain. General anaesthesia is used when it suits you better. The anaesthesia team makes this decision with you at the pre-anaesthesia check, and your preference is part of that conversation.

How long will I be away from my room on the day of surgery?

Noticeably longer than the operation itself, and that is normal. Preparation, anaesthesia, the operation, and the recovery room each take their own time, so an operation of one to two hours often means three to four hours away from the room. Attendants should not read anything into the wait; the team shares an update once the operation is over.

Can I eat or drink before surgery?

Follow the exact fasting instructions given at your pre-anaesthesia check rather than any general rule. Typically solid food stops the night before, and the team tells you whether and until when clear fluids are allowed. Take or hold your regular medicines exactly as instructed, especially diabetes and blood-thinning medicines.

When will my family get news during the operation?

Your attendant waits in the operating theatre waiting area, and the team shares an update once the operation is over and you are settled in the recovery room. Long quiet stretches are part of every surgical day and are not bad news. Ask at admission how updates are shared so everyone knows what to expect.

Your surgery day, hour by hour

Joint replacement day: from the night before to going home

The night before

What happens

For your attendant

Arrival and admission

What happens

For your attendant

Getting ready

What happens

For your attendant

The anaesthesia moment

What happens

For your attendant

Inside the operating theatre

What happens

For your attendant

Waking up in recovery

What happens

For your attendant

Back in your room

What happens

For your attendant

The first night

What happens

For your attendant

The days after, and going home

What happens

For your attendant

Arthroscopy day: from the night before to going home

The night before

What happens

For your attendant

Arrival and admission

What happens

For your attendant

Getting ready

What happens

For your attendant

The anaesthesia moment

What happens

For your attendant

Inside the operating theatre

What happens

For your attendant

Waking up in recovery

What happens

For your attendant

Back in your room

What happens

For your attendant

Overnight stay, then home

What happens

For your attendant

Why we wrote the day down

The day of surgery, answered

Take the First Step. We'll handle the rest.

Take the First Step.
We'll handle the rest.