Inpatient Surgery
Arriving at the Hospital
- Plan on arriving two hours prior to your scheduled surgery time
- Do not eat or drink anything eight hours prior to your surgical check in time
- If needed you may take a sip of water to consume required medications
- Please make sure to ask your family doctor which medicines need to be taken the day of surgery
- Please leave all valuables at home and wear loose fitting clothing, such as sweat pants or shorts and a loose fitting shirt
- If you have x-rays and MRIs in your possession please bring them with you
- You will be required to present identification such as a driver’s license and insurance information
- You may also be asked to make payment for coinsurance or deductibles
- Please contact your insurance company and the hospital prior to your surgery date to check your financial obligations
- The nurse will make sure all your blood work and other tests are current
- The nurse will take you to the pre-operative room and have you change into a hospital gown
- When your chart is in order your blood pressure, pulse, respiration and temperature will be taken and an IV line will be started
- The anesthesiologist will come by to talk with you, review your chart, and discuss options for anesthesia
The Operation
- When it is time, the anesthesiologist and nurse will escort you to the operating room
- Once you have been transferred to the operating table you will receive anesthesia
- Your surgery should take between 45 minutes and two hours
The Recovery Room
- Once the operation is complete, you will be taken to the PACU (Post-Anesthesia Recovery Room)
- In the PACU, the nurse will monitor your condition as you recover from the anesthesia
- This takes approximately 60 minutes. After this time, you will be admitted to the hospital
- Your family will be brought back to the see you when you are admitted to your hospital room
- You and your family will be given discharge instructions prior to your discharge to home
- You will be escorted to your vehicle in a wheelchair by the nursing staff
- Please make sure you have a wheelchair, crutches or a walker to get from your vehicle to your home afterwards
- Make sure you have a follow up appointment within two weeks of your surgery date to see Dr. Wall