Surgery Center

Before Your Surgery or Procedure:
Preparing for Your Surgery:

Your surgery/procedure will be scheduled in conjunction with your physician’s office. They will provide you with preliminary education about your surgery and the recovery phase. You will be allowed to ask questions at any time during the visit. Your physician’s office will provide you with a date for your surgery/procedure. A nurse from Premier Orthopaedic Surgery Center will contact you to inform you of the time you need to arrive at the surgery center for your scheduled surgery/procedure.

Pre-surgery or Procedure Phone Call:

A nurse from Premier Orthopaedic Surgery Center will contact you approximately 3-4 days before your scheduled surgery/procedure to obtain your medical history. You will need to have a list of your current medications and dosage in order to give this information to the nurse. The nurse will tell you how to adjust your medications prior to your surgery. Do not bring your medications, unless you are directed to by the nurse. You will also need a list of your previous surgeries. The nurse will also inform you of the latest time you may eat or drink before your surgery/procedure. You may shower or bathe the morning before your surgery. Once the nurse has completed her assessment, you will be transferred to speak to a business office personnel. They will verify your home address and insurance information. You will be told if you are responsible for a co-payment.

The Day of Your Surgery/Procedure:

Items You Need to Bring to the Surgery Center:

• Insurance card(s)
• Driver’s license or photo ID
• Co-Payment (if you were told you are responsible for one)
• Eyeglasses and/or contacts, contact case, if applicable
• Hearing aid, if applicable
• Denture case, if applicable

A responsible adult needs to drive you home after your surgery/procedure. It is important that you wear loose fitting clothes. Do not bring jewelry and other valuables.

Your Arrival at the Surgery Center:

Once you enter the surgery center, you will need to sign-in at the front desk. The business office personal will then ask you to enter the registration area where you will complete the registration process. You will then be asked to return to the waiting area.

Pre-Op Area (before surgery):

A pre-op nurse will call your name to assist you to the pre-op area. Your family will be able to remain in the waiting area at this time. The surgeon/physician will speak to them when your surgery/procedure has been completed. In the pre-op area you will be asked more questions by the nurse, anesthesiologist, and your physician. You will also be given the opportunity to ask questions at this time. Then, you will be taken on a patient stretcher to the operating room suite where your surgery/procedure will be performed.

After Your Surgery/Procedure:

Post-Op Area (after surgery):

After your surgery/procedure, you will be taken to the post-op area. In this area you will be monitored by nurses while you recover from anesthesia. The nurse will orient you to where you are and that your surgery/procedure is complete. You will be attached to equipment that will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure and the amount of oxygen in your blood. If necessary, you may receive oxygen through a clear plastic tube in your nose. You may experience blurred vision, a dry mouth, chills, or nausea from the anesthesia. The nurse will frequently ask you if you have any pain or nausea. Both can be well controlled with medication. If you have a bandage in place after surgery, the nurse will check if periodically for drainage. There also could be an ice pack placed over the bandage. If you have no nausea, you will be given juice or a soda to drink. The length of time you spend in the post-op area depends on the type of anesthesia you received and how you react to it. Most patients recover in approximately one hour.

Discharge

Once you have recovered, the responsible adult who accompanied you will be allowed in the post-op area. The post-op nurse will review with you and the responsible adult your discharge instructions. You will also receive a copy of the discharge instructions. After all questions have been answered, a nurse will discharge you by wheelchair or by walking you to your vehicle.