Prompt: Spinal Surgery Pre-Operative Patient Information

Spinal Surgery Pre-Operative Patient Information

Use this prompt to draft a pre-operative information document for a patient having spinal surgery. Review against your unit's current pre-operative pathway and anaesthetic department guidelines before use.

Draft pre-operative patient information for a patient aged 
[[patient_age — e.g. "58"]] having [[procedure — e.g. 
"single-level lumbar decompression" or "lumbar spinal fusion L4–5"]].

Cover:
- Preparation in the days before surgery: general guidance 
  (smoking, alcohol, activity — no specific fasting times, 
  these will come from the anaesthetic department)
- What to expect on the day: arrival, what to bring, 
  what happens before going to theatre
- What happens during the procedure — brief and non-technical
- What to expect after surgery: recovery room, ward stay 
  [[ward_stay — e.g. "1–2 nights"]], 
  early mobilisation with physiotherapist
- First week at home: expected pain level, wound care, 
  mobility, activity restrictions
- Warning signs requiring urgent contact: 
  [[warning_signs — e.g. "new or worsening leg weakness, 
  loss of bladder or bowel control, fever, wound breakdown"]]
- Follow-up: [[follow_up — e.g. "clinic review at 6 weeks"]]

Tone: calm, practical, and informative. Do not include specific 
drug names, doses, or anaesthetic details. Maximum 500 words.

Why this works

Spinal surgery carries specific warning signs that are not present in other orthopaedic procedures — particularly new neurological deficit or loss of bladder and bowel control, which require emergency assessment. Specifying these in the prompt ensures they appear clearly in the document, rather than being omitted from a generic post-operative warning signs list.

How to tweak it

• For a patient who has expressed significant anxiety about the operation, add: "Include a brief paragraph acknowledging that spinal surgery can feel particularly daunting, and that it is normal to have many questions before the procedure."
• For a patient having cervical spine surgery, change the warning signs to include: "new weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, difficulty with balance or walking, new difficulties with fine hand movements."

Remember: AI is a helpful assistant, not a clinician. You make the call.