Useful patient instructions
The procedure followed for a thyroidectomy/parathyroidectomy has been greatly simplified, so that there is absolutely no discomfort for the patient. It is a routine procedure for all our colleagues which, in a friendly environment, aims to a scientifically sound and responsible approach treating the patient as a separate entity.
1. An initial surgical evaluation is performed at the Practice or an in-depth telephone communication with the Doctor, together with a check of the medical examinations sent by fax, courier, or e-mail.
2. Mr Karvounis will gladly communicate with the patient’s Doctor-Endocrinologist if it is necessary for the patient’s medical record
3. In communication with our Secretariat, the day and time of the surgery is determined and the ordinary preoperative check* is planned (ideally in one of the preceding dates or in the morning of the day of the surgery) inside or outside the Clinic, with no hospitalisation of the patient
4. On admission the patient should
- Be fasting (not even water) by midnight of the day before the operation.
- Have taken any kind of medication or have stopped taking some of them, according to the Doctor’s instructions.
- Bring along his/her ID, the booklet of the public healthcare insurance body and/or the contract number of the private insurance, if any.
- Bring along all medical examinations related to his/her condition (all of which he/she might have already shown or sent to the Doctor in the initial surgical evaluation)
5. In the same morning before the operation the patient visits the Patient Admission Office of the Clinic where he/she is sought out by and welcomed by our Secretary.
6. The patient has to deliver to the Charge Nurse of the treatment floor his/her medical examinations, to be included in the medical folder which has to be available for the doctors during the operation. After the operation, they will be returned to the patient.
7. Hospitalisation lasts 24 hours or less (in a single, double, triple, or quadruple room) during which the patient is freely fed, walks, talks, feels no pain, is not connected to tubes.
8. Postoperative, except the nursing care, the patient will be visited by the Secretary, the Registrar Surgeon, the Anaesthesiologist, and Mr Karvounis in person.
9. During hospitalisation, the patient will be able to communicate from the telephone in the room with the Secretary either via the internal phone network or reach her on her mobile, concerning any matter.
10. The next morning after the operation, the patient is paid another visit and gets discharged, which, after consultation with the doctor, may include or not a recommendation for sick leave.
11. After discharge and up to the day of receiving the report of the histological examination, the patient is able to communicate not only with the Registrars and with Mr Karvounis on his mobile, but also with the Secretariat on a 24h per day basis.
12. Approximately a week later, the patient will receive a notification call from our Secretariat concerning the histological report (biopsy), which is either handed out or sent. At the same time, the tiny gauze is simply and without any pain removed (by the doctor or the patient), after all there are no stitches to remove.
13. The Endocrinologist is informed and after reading the results of the biopsy, determines any further medication.
14. A medical examination is taking place 3 and 12 months after the operation.
*The usual preoperative check includes:
– Blood test, Blood sugar, Urea, Creatinine, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Rhesus blood group, Blood test for clotting time (PT, aPTT, INR)
– Chest X-ray (basic)
– Cardiovascular examination (with electrocardiogram)
– ENT examination (vocal cord movement examination)
**Patients from the rest of Greece or abroad
The Center of Excellence Thyroid & Parathyroid Surgery, across the years, receives a big number of patients yearly from all over Greece, from our beloved Cyprus, from neighbouring countries (Albania, Romania, FYROM, etc.), as well as many Greeks of the diaspora.
More specifically, patients from all over Greece, after consulting the Secretariat and depending on the nature of their condition, can organize their trip in combination with the Operation Schedule, so they can arrive by car/boat/airplane in Athens and straight to the Clinic the morning before the operation.
Anyone interested can contact us for his/her medical condition as well as to be informed about the details concerning their stay or any other information, by calling us at 210 7771077 and 694 932 4444 and/or by e-mail: karvounis@endocrinesurgeon.gr