Before You Go to Bed

• Take a shower or bath. Wash yourself well with soap, including your belly button. Wear clean pyjamas to bed.
• Don’t use any creams, lotions, or anything with a smell.
• Don’t shave the area where your surgery will be.

What to Bring to the Hospital

Your Guide to Bowel Surgery booklet has a list of things you should bring to the hospital. Click on the Night before Surgery List at right.

Bring the items in the list in one small bag that has your name on it. All other items can be brought to you after surgery.

Leave anything of value at home. The hospital is not responsible for lost items.

Enemas before Surgery

Your Pre-admission Clinic staff or your surgeon will let you know if you have to give yourself an enema. The enemas empty out your lower bowel. Please follow the instructions your surgeon or PAC gave you.

You may be given an enema at the hospital, before you go for surgery.​