Outpatient Surgical Services
Patient Guide
Important Precautions
Your surgeon will be best able to answer any questions you may
have about your procedure. If after reading these guidelines, you
have further questions about your stay, don't hesitate to call your
surgeon or our office at 401-444-8372.
- Bring one form of positive identification. Examples of
an acceptable form of ID are a driver's liscense, a federal ID
bearing a photograph, an employer photo-ID badge or a credit card
bearing a photograph. The ID must be current.
- Do not eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery
unless instructed otherwise. This includes gum, hard candy
and breath mints. If you were instructed by your surgeon or anesthesiologist
to take medication on the morning of your surgery, take your medication
with a sip of water. You can brush your teeth, rinse your mouth
and shower on the day of your surgery.
- Do not take blood thinning medication such as Coumadin and
aspirin products before surgery. If you are currently taking
Coumadin or an aspirin product for a medical condition, contact
the doctor who prescribed the medication and ask if and when you
should discontinue use prior to surgery.
Medications that contain aspirin or aspirin-like
products
- Do not smoke on the day of your surgery. Smoking is irritating
to your lungs and can make it harder for you to recover from anesthesia.
Smoking is not permitted in the hospital. You should try to stop
smoking two weeks before your surgery.
- Do not wear makeup. The doctors and nurses caring for
you need to see your natural coloring. For this reason, please
do not wear makeup or nail polish to the hospital, especially
eye makeup, which can injure your eyes during anesthesia.
- Bring your medications to the hospital with you. Even
if you are going home the same day as your surgery, bring your
medications (including insulin if you are diabetic) to the hospital.
If you will be admitted to the hospital after your surgery, please
have a relative or a friend take your prescriptions home.
- Bring insurance cards and the pre-admission
questionnaire with you to the hospital.
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes to the hospital.
- Leave your valuables at home. You will not be able to
wear any jewelry during surgery, including wedding rings and watches,
so it is best to leave these items at home. Credit cards, checkbooks
and cash should also be left at home.
- Arrange for transportation home from the hospital. You
may not drive yourself home after surgery. Please arrange to have
a family member or friend accompany you to and from the hospital.
It is important that you don't drive or operate any heavy machinery
for the first 24 hours after receiving sedation or anesthesia.
Plan to have a family member or friend assist you at home following
your surgery.
- Do not wear contact lenses. Wearing contact lenses during
surgery can cause serious harm to your eyes. If you decide to
wear your contact lenses to the hospital, please bring a contact
lens case and solution, as well as eyeglasses to wear after surgery.
Please remember to bring your eyeglass case with you to the hospital.
You may wear eyeglasses, dentures or hearing aids to the hospital.
- Bring any advance directives (e.g., a living will) with
you to the hospital on the day of your surgery.
More about advance directives
Social Services
Our social services department is available for patients with special
needs, such as transportation assistance, and connection with outside
agencies. For more information about our social services department
call 401-444-5711.
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