Surgical Services
Patient Guide
Preparing for Outpatient Surgery
We have developed the following instructions to make sure you have
the best experience possible while at the hospital and during your
recovery at home. Please call your surgeon if you develop a cold,
flu, an elevated temperature or have another illness the day before
your surgery. Your surgery may be postponed depending on your symptoms.
- Do not eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery
unless otherwise instructed. 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 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.
- Complete your health care questionnaire and bring it
with you the day of surgery. Get
the questionnaire
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring any advance directives (e.g., living will) with
you to the hospital on the day of your surgery.
More about advance directives
- If you are currently taking aspirin or Coumadin, contact
your surgeon to see if you should stop the medication prior
to surgery.
Medications that contain aspirin or aspirin-like
products
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