Many leading Melbourne surgeons refer their patients to our practice for pre-operative assessment.
Dr Flanagan advises surgeons of patients’ risk statuses and recommends appropriate management to minimise risks of the operation. Dr Flanagan also assists with postoperative care and ongoing medical problems or complications.
Physicians are highly trained in a range of non-surgical care for adult patients. Physicians care for difficult, serious or unusual medical problems and continue to see the patient until these problems have resolved or stabilised.
Physicians are specialists in the effects of medications, including their side effects, and how they interact with other medicines (as opposed to surgeons, who perform operations). Much of this work takes place with hospitalised patients, while Dr Flanagan also sees patients in rooms for pre-operative assessment consultations.
More and more patients nowadays are being recommended by their GP/other medical practitioner to consider CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices, especially to treat obstructive sleep apnoea. CPAP machines may only be prescribed by a Consultant Respiratory Physician. If a patient is currently using a CPAP machine, they will need to have clearance from their Respiratory Physician, prior to surgery.
For further information about obstructive sleep apnoea, see the Health Direct website, or the Better Health Channel website.