Day Surgery Information

Driver—You'll need a driver on the day of surgery for the trip home and should not stay alone after surgery. Transportation and personal arrangements should be made in advance, and the driver's name with contact number or location should be given to the admitting nurse for later use.

Arriving at the Hospital—Please ask your driver to park in the visitor parking lot in the front of the visitor's entrance of the hospital. Enter through the visitor entrance, which has a circle drive and a flagpole in front of the door.

Checking In—The receptionist in the visitor lobby will direct you to the Day Surgery Unit, where you will be assigned to your room. The Day Surgery Unit nurses will prepare you for your surgery, place your intravenous line, and explain discharge procedures to you. Only two visitors are allowed in your room at a time. Other family members may wait in the Day Surgery area’s waiting room.

Recovery After Surgery—If needed, you will be observed in our Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) formally known as the Recovery Room. Your anesthesiologist will bring you to the PACU where a peri-anesthesia nurse will monitor you as the anesthetic wears off. Following an evaluation, you will be returned to the Day Surgery Unit to be discharged.

Discharge—When you are discharged, you will be given instructions for your care at home. These instructions include the activities or foods you should avoid. Home readiness is the goal of Day Surgery—you are being discharged so you can go home to rest and fully recuperate.

After your discharge, call your physician if:

• You have a fever over 101°.
• You experience any unusual incisional bleeding or if your bandages become saturated with blood.
• Your pain medication is not working.
• You experience any side effects from your medication, such as itching, swelling, rash or nausea or vomiting.
• If you can't empty your bladder and become uncomfortable.
• You have any questions.