Professor Deborah McNamara

And so we're seeing infections that can be serious and some of them can be really difficult to treat.

Yeah, it's very distressing to hear, actually.

And, you know, I think every surgeon has an ethical obligation not just to do operations, but to look after their patients afterwards.

And that is part of surgery.

And that sort of wraparound care is an essential component of surgery.

And as you've rightly said, preoperative assessment is part of that, looking after patients early.

What we call rescuing patients from complications that promptly is really important to getting best long term outcomes.

And then, as Professor Hinehan has mentioned, long term care for patients who may have long term sequelae.

So, yes, I think it's very concerning.

Yes.

So I think there's three things that patients can do.

One is talk to your GP because they can signpost you to reliable information about the operation you're going to have so that you know what the common complications are and how they can be managed.

Secondly, make sure that your advice is independent and not just from someone who's selling a procedure.

There are accreditation systems for hospitals and clinics all around the world, for example, JCI.

So they validate the safety standards of hospitals because it's not just about the surgeon doing the operation.

You want to make sure that the doctor putting you to sleep, your anesthesiologist, your nursing team are all competent experts also.

And then the third thing is to find out in a lot of detail what happens if things go wrong and how they're watching for early complications.

What's the system of care?

How will they advise you when it's safe to travel home?

If you're not well enough to go home, how will you be cared for?