Day of Your Surgery

Day of Surgery

Please use the parking lot designated for surgical patients in front of the Medical Center's main entrance. Proceed through the front door to the registration desk located immediately as you walk in, they will direct you from there. You may be asked to have a seat and wait until the nursing staff is available to greet and escort you to the Same Day Surgery (SDS) area. One family member will be permitted to come with you to this area after your assessment has been completed, with the exception of children under 18. Two adults may accompany children.

Once inside Same Day Surgery, a physical assessment will be completed, surgical and anesthesia consents will be signed, and pre and post-op expectations will be discussed. Typically this is when your IV will be started and any pre-op medications will be given. Your surgeon, OR personnel, and anesthesia staff will be available to answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have regarding your surgery. Your surgeon will mark the surgical site if there is a choice of left or right. The SDS, OR, and Anesthesia staff will confirm the correct surgical procedure with you during your pre-op evaluation.

Your personal belongings will be placed in a special bag and labeled. This bag will be placed in a designated area in Same Day Surgery if you are going home. However, if you are being admitted, it should remain with a family member. Once you are ready for surgery, the nursing staff will keep you informed of any changes or delays in your scheduled operating room time. The operating room nurse will greet you, do a brief interview, and then transport you to the surgical suite. At this time your family member will be shown where to wait.

After Surgery - Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

Once the surgery is completed, the surgeon will talk with family members in person or via phone. To protect patient confidentiality, names will not be called in the waiting area. Each family will be given a card with an assigned number that is specific to their loved one who is having surgery. This number will be called when the physician is ready to speak with the family after surgery. There is also an electronic tracking board in the Same Day Surgery waiting area that will display the progress of patients as they move through the different departments of Surgical Services. The assigned numbers are used on this tracking board as well.

The surgical patient will remain in the recovery room until discharge criteria for the Post Anesthesia Care Unit have been met. This recovery time varies from patient to patient and from surgery to surgery but is customarily between one and two hours.

To maintain patient privacy and to facilitate patient care, visitors are not permitted in PACU. Pediatric patients may have one parent at a time visit in PACU.

After the discharge criteria have been met, if the patient is going to be spending the night in the Medical Center, the patient will be transported upstairs to their room. The registration desk will keep family members apprised of room assignments so that they can go to their loved one's room once they have been transported.

If the patient is having outpatient surgery, they may go straight from the Operating Room to the Same Day Surgery Unit. This is called the "fast track" process. Fast track patients remain in Same Day Surgery for evaluation. Once post-operative Same Day Surgery patients meet final discharge criteria they will have their IV removed, get dressed, and be escorted to the front entrance. All Same Day Surgery patients (and a family member) will receive discharge instructions for home care and follow-up care with their physician.

All patients who have anesthesia or sedation must have a responsible adult available to drive them home upon discharge. It is recommended that the person wait with you at the Medical Center until you are ready for discharge. It is also recommended that all patients arrange for someone to help care for them at home.

REMEMBER: In order to ensure the best outcome and prevent postoperative infections, always wash your hands before and after caring for your dressing. Ensure that anyone who visits you washes their hands before and after visiting you.