If you are unsure as to why you have been referred to Dr Flanagan, please contact your surgeon

Many Consultant Physicians support surgeons before and after a patient's surgery, as part of a total health management team, particularly with regards to medications being managed around the time of surgery. This often occurs when a patient has pre-existing health issues (eg diabetes), a history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), high blood pressure, or for other reasons is at higher risk for surgery.

Many leading Melbourne surgeons ask us to assess patients' health prior to possible surgery to review them from a medical (ie, non-surgical) point of view as part of a patient's total health care. This is common where patients:

• are older

• have pre-existing health conditions / prior medical history

• are on medication, especially for hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes or blood thinning (eg aspirin)

Dr Flanagan recommends the management of peri-operative medications and also assesses the risk of, and treats, deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Dr Flanagan is a Consultant Physician & Nephrologist (renal/kidney specialist).

A Consultant Physician is a specialist medical (non-surgical) vocation, and refers to taking care of patients with conditions that are complex and/or unusual.

Many Consultant Physicians support surgeons before and after a patient's surgery, as part of a total health management team, particularly with regards to medications being managed around the time of surgery. This often occurs when a patient has pre-existing health issues (eg diabetes), a history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), high blood pressure, or for other reasons is at higher risk for surgery.

It takes at least takes at least 14 years to qualify to be a Consultant Physician, including at least six years in specialist training.

Dr Flanagan is regularly requested to assist with peri-operative care by a number of Melbourne's leading surgeons.

Please refer to our Appointments tab.

We generally have a waiting period of around 4-5 weeks.

If you wish to be placed on a cancellation list, we are able to do this once we have:

1. your completed online Patient form, including attaching the referral

2. if your referring doctor has requested that you have tests before seeing us (eg, if you are seeing us for pre-operative assessment), the results of those tests

We generally have a 4-5 week wait for appointments.

Should you wish to be placed on a cancellation list, please:

1. complete our form on the Form tab asap, including attaching your referral

2. if you have been requested by your referring doctor to have any tests, please have those done asap.

Once we have your form and referral (and test results if requested) we will be able to contact you quickly should an earlier appointment become available.

Please ensure you have a referral emailed to us a week prior to your appointment. Sometimes referring surgeons send the referral direct to us, please check with your referring surgeon if you are unsure as to whether they are sending us the referral direct.

Has your surgeon requested that you have any tests done prior to seeing us?

If so, please have any requested tests done at least a week prior to seeing us, earlier if you are having tests done outside of Melbourne Metropolitan Area

Having the tests ready at your appointment will minimise the chances of having to postpone any planned surgery.

Often - not always, but often - Dr Flanagan requests that patients have more tests, to fully investigate their health.

This is a standard part of the procedure for assessing your fitness for surgery.

This may include:

• specialist scans

• heart tests including stress tests

• blood tests

• ultrasounds

• or other tests

If so, Dr Flanagan will discuss this with you at your appointment.

If you are regularly seeing another specialist, eg a cardiologist, rheumatologist or respiratory physician, Dr Flanagan may write to them for detailed information about your health, especially recent test results.

If you are on a CPAP machine, Dr Flanagan will normally recommend to your surgeon that you be cleared by your respiratory physician as being fit for surgery.

As part of a pre-surgical assessment, you will be asked about your lung health.

If you are on a CPAP machine, your lung specialist will normally need to confirm in writing to both Dr Flanagan and your surgeon, that you are fit for surgery.

This will be discussed with you at your appointment with us.

CPAP machines may only be prescribed and monitored by a specialist Respiratory Physician.

If you have not started using your CPAP machine, you will normally need to be established on it, and cleared by your Respiratory Physician, prior to surgery.

All queries regarding the usage of your CPAP should be directed to your Respiratory Physician.

On the day of an appointment, Dr Flanagan is sometimes able to advise a patient verbally that he is happy for surgery to proceed.

Assessment of your fitness for surgery is always confirmed in writing to your surgeon.

After your appointment, Dr Flanagan will write to your referring surgeon with his advice.

It will then be up to your referring surgeon to consider Dr Flanagan's letter and discuss with you the next steps.

If you are taking any medications and/or other substances, you may be requested to stop taking them prior to your surgery, including

• diabetic medications

• blood-thinning and/or other medications, such as aspirin, Plavix, Clopidogrel, Cartia, warfarin, Pradaxa, Xarelto, Eliquis

• fish oil

• krill oil

• ginseng

• gingko

• garlic supplements

Your surgeon may request that Dr Flanagan see you in hospital, if so Dr Flanagan will normally see you the day after your surgery.

He usually visits patients most days that they are in hospital, but it depends on different factors including the type of surgery and the length of your stay in hospital.