Do I need a referral from my personal doctor prior to requesting an appointment?
Patients within GESY (General Health System) should have a referral from their personal doctor or another specialist physician in order to be reviewed in the clinic. The referral should be done towards the GENERAL SURGERY specialty. Patients will pay €6 per visit to a specialist doctor. Patients who visit a specialist doctor directly and without a referral from a GP will be required to pay €25 for the visit.This is not applicable in out of hours appointments.
For how long does a referral last for?
Normal referrals from a GP to a specialist doctor are valid for three visits and for a period of three months, while long-term referrals are valid for 12 visits and 12 months.
Is GESY covering the expenses for the inpatient health care?
GESY is covering the whole expenses for the inpatient health care. There is no co-payment.
I have registered in GESY but I also have a private health insurance. Can I use my health insurance to visit you?
Dr Papoulas is a Specialist Surgeon registered as a provider in GESY. All beneficiaries of the General Health System (GESY) that desire to be examined or treated by Dr Papoulas have to do that through the GESY.
Patients not eligible for GESY (e.g medical tourists, foreigners, Turkish Cypriots, etc) can be treated privately and receive exactly the same top quality and high standard medical care by Dr Papoulas and his colleagues.
What tests do I need before surgery?
Required tests may include blood tests, heart testing (Electrocardiogram, ECG) and chest x-ray. All tests need to be done within 30 days of your procedure.
Depending on the surgery that you will undergo and on your previous medical history, further specialised tests may be required including more specific blood tests, imaging of your abdomen and pelvis, pulmonary function tests, echo of your heart and others.
What medications should I stop before surgery?
Anticoagulants (blood thinners) usually need to be stopped several days before surgery. Oral medications may need to be replaced with injected or intravenous (IV) medications. It is extremely important that both your surgeon and your physician (who has ordered the anticoagulants) discuss the optimum timing for stopping these medicines. Please be aware that many drugs and herbal products may be anticoagulants (blood thinners) although they are not used for that purpose.
In addition, some anti-depressants and most anti-Parkinson drugscan interfere with many of the medications used during anesthesia. If the medication needs to be stopped, it should be done one to two weeks (7-14 days) before surgery because it takes that long for the drug to be out of your system. You should discuss this with your surgeon and primary physician as early as possible.
What medications may I take on the day of surgery?
In general, blood pressure (heart) medications, anti-seizure medications and acetaminophen-containing pain medications (no aspirin or NSAIDs) should be taken the morning of surgery with a sip of water. Insulin may be given in a reduced dose. Discuss this with your anesthesiologist. Oral hypoglycemic (diabetes pills) should NOT be taken.
What if I use a CPAP machine at home for sleep apnea?
Bring your machine with you on the day of surgery. We will most likely have you use it while you are recovering from surgery.