Updated February 19, 2010.

Definition:

The preoperative phase is the time period between the decision to have surgery and the beginning of the surgical procedure.

For some patients, the preoperative period may last for months, during which testing and other procedures may be done. For an emergency, such as an appendectomy, the preoperative period may last only a few hours.

What To Do Before Surgery

Also Known As: preop, pre-op, before surgery, preoperatively, presurgery,

Common Misspellings: priop, preopp, preoperation, preopperative,

Examples: Part of the preoperative planning is arranging to have a friend of family member drive you home from the hospital.