Why Patients Still Call After Pre-Op and Discharge Instructions

Working on a surgical ward, I have answered these calls countless times.

Before surgery: “Can I take my morning tablets?” “When exactly do I stop eating?” “Do I still take my blood thinner?”

After discharge: “Is this amount of pain normal?” “Which painkiller do I take first?” “My wound looks red and swollen. Should I be worried?”

The patient may have had a thorough consultation and gone home with a discharge summary, a prescription and written instructions. The questions are still real. Information given is not always information retained — especially when someone is anxious, in pain or still recovering from anaesthesia.

Why written instructions are not the end of the conversation

  • Stress changes what people remember: A patient focused on an upcoming procedure may not absorb every detail of a pre-op conversation.
  • Discharge is a difficult moment to learn: Pain, fatigue and the effects of anaesthesia can make important instructions harder to process.
  • Paper cannot respond: A leaflet cannot hear what a patient means by “my wound looks different today” or clarify a question about their own instructions.
  • Questions arise at home: Pain or wound changes may appear days later, when neither the clinician nor a carer is present.
  • Confidence and language matter: Some patients hesitate to call because they are unsure whether their concern is important or do not want to bother the team.

    • Those calls are not a failure of patients or clinicians. They tell us that communication needs to continue beyond the consultation. Patients need a way to ask questions, hear the instructions again and reach a clinician when something needs assessment.

    What a proactive call can add

    A practice could design a pre-op call, according to its own protocol, to check that the patient has their clinician-approved fasting and medication instructions, answer administrative questions and pass any uncertainty about medicines or the procedure to the clinical team. A voice agent should not decide whether someone should take or stop a blood thinner.

    After discharge, a day-one or day-three check-in could ask how the patient is managing, whether they understand their written plan and whether they want the team to call them. If the patient reports concerning pain, wound changes or other symptoms, the call should promptly hand that information to a qualified clinician under the practice's escalation rules. The agent must not decide that a symptom is normal or give medical advice.

    These are examples of pathways to co-design with surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and practice managers, not a claim that any one call schedule suits every procedure. The timing, questions, consent, accessibility needs and escalation thresholds must be set by the treating service. A call is a communication touchpoint, not a replacement for a clinical review or emergency care.

    Where MayaAI fits

    MayaAI can support outbound reminders and follow-ups using a practice-approved call flow. The aim is to make timely, two-way contact more practical while ensuring clinical questions and urgent concerns go to the right humans. Outcomes such as fewer complications or emergency presentations are goals worth studying, not results we can claim without evidence.

    In a broader patient journey, outbound contact might also include booking confirmations, waitlist offers, results-review invitations and recalls. But the pre-op and post-op moments deserve special care: patients may need reassurance, a repeated instruction or a real clinician. The technology should help the team spot that need, not pretend to meet it on its own.

    To surgeons, anaesthetists, specialists and practice managers: if proactive follow-up resonates, let us co-design a pre-op or post-op call pathway around your patients and your clinical safeguards. Book a conversation with MayaAI.

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