Skip to main content
Linkou Chang Gung Memorial HospitalColon and Rectal Surgery

Home　／　Coming for the first time

FIRST VISIT

Coming for the first time

Having your records ready lets the doctor understand your situation sooner, and avoids repeating tests you have already had.

How to book

You can book online or call the hospital switchboard on (03) 328-1200. Clinic times for each doctor are on the hospital's clinic schedule; to read about each doctor's focus first, see Faculty.

What to bring

  1. Your National Health Insurance card and photo ID. A first visit requires a hospital record to be created.
  2. The medicines you currently take. Bring the packets or a list, especially anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs and diabetes medication, which affect how tests and surgery are arranged.
  3. Records from other hospitals, if you have them. Referral letter, discharge summary, colonoscopy report, pathology report, blood tests, and CT or MRI images on disc.
  4. A note of your symptoms. Write down when they began, any change in bowel habit, the colour and frequency of any bleeding, whether you have lost weight, and whether anyone in your family has had colorectal cancer.

On the day

  1. Registration. Arrive early for a first visit to have your hospital record created, then check in at the clinic area.
  2. Consultation and examination. For anal problems the doctor usually performs a digital rectal examination or anoscopy. It takes only a moment; tell the doctor at any time if you are uncomfortable.
  3. Further tests. Depending on your condition you may need blood tests, colonoscopy or imaging. Colonoscopy requires bowel preparation beforehand and is booked separately, with instructions given to you.
  4. Payment and pharmacy. After the consultation, follow the instructions for payment, collecting medicines and booking your next appointment.

Bring a family member if you can. If surgery or a treatment plan may be discussed, having someone else hear the explanation makes it less likely that something important is forgotten.

When to seek care immediately

If you have heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting with no passage of wind or stool, or fever with severe pain and swelling around the anus, do not wait for a clinic appointment. Go to the emergency department.

Ready to book?

Clinic schedule Book online