What to Expect for Your Elective Procedure
Expect a pre-operative phone call within one week of your surgery. Please have your current medication list ready for this phone call to be reviewed with the nurse. Some surgeries will require a preoperative visit. Bring your home medication list to that appointment.
Pre-Operative Instructions
The night before surgery, follow the instructions per the CHG instruction sheet to clean your body with the CHG wipes if applicable. On the morning of your surgery, use your CHG wipes again if applicable. Not all surgeries require these. Please do not shave the surgical site.
Fasting Instructions:
- Clear liquids (non-alcoholic) are allowed up to 2 hrs prior to surgery.
- Breast milk/formula is allowed up to 4 hrs prior to surgery.
- Light meals are allowed up to 6 hrs prior to surgery.
- Heavy meals are allowed up to 8 hrs prior to surgery.
Do not smoke or use chewing tobacco after midnight prior to your surgery or procedure.
Only take the medications that your physician has told you to take on the morning of surgery with a sip of water.
Please come to the hospital in comfortable clothing. You will be asked to change into a gown when you arrive at the outpatient area. Leave all valuables/jewelry items at home. All jewelry, including body piercings of any type, must be removed prior to surgery. If you have a C-Pap, please bring that with you if you are going to be spending at least one night at the hospital. Since eyeglasses and contact lenses are removed prior to surgery, please bring protective containers. Please do not wear lotion, powder, deodorant, makeup, or alcohol-based hair products (e.g., gels, hairspray).
On the day of your surgery, park on the west side of the Hospital and enter through the main doors at the main entrance. Check-in with the front desk. Please have your insurance information and a form of ID with you. Bring a copy of a living will or advanced directive if you have one.
You will not be allowed to drive home. Please make arrangements for transport home.
Limited family members may come to the outpatient area with you.
Please be aware that your start time for surgery is approximate and emergencies could arise that would cause your case to be delayed. We ask for your patience with our staff if this does occur. We will communicate delays to the best of our ability.
What to Expect When You Arrive for Surgery
- Your insurance and personal information will be obtained by a registrar.
- You will be brought to the outpatient waiting area, then called back by a nurse or nurse assistant.
- You will be weighed, brought to your room, and changed into a gown and non-slip socks.
- Your blood pressure, pulse, temperature and heart rythym will be taken.
- A nurse will start your IV and administer any pre-op medications ordered by your surgeon, also a blood sample or urine sample may be needed if ordered by your surgeon as well.
- Your nurse will obtain a full medical, social and physical assessment.
- You will meet your anesthesia provider and surgeon in the outpatient room and may ask any last-minute questions you may have at this time and then sign your consent for surgery.
- Before you go back to surgery if you have any hair at or near your surgical site that needs to be removed the nurse/nurse assistant will shave you and your skin will be cleaned again with the CHG wipes.
- Ted hose and SCD’s – sequential compression devices – will also be applied to your lower legs to help prevent blood clots.
- Following the procedure, you will go to recovery and return outpatient surgery if you will be going home that day or upstairs to your patient room if the procedure requires an overnight stay.
- The nurse and physician will provide you will discharge instructions before leaving for home.
