Before Your Surgery

Should you require surgery, your surgeon's office personnel will call to schedule your surgery and notify you about the date and location of your procedure.

Pre-operative testing

Your surgeon will determine what pre-operative testing will be required prior to your procedure. You may require a blood test, urine test, an EKG (heart tracing) and/or an X-ray of your chest to rule out any current undiagnosed conditions and to assess your current health status.

When you come to the hospital for these tests, you will also be preregistered for your surgery. At this time (or in your physician's office) you will be given a pre-operative questionnaire. Please be sure you fill it out completely to help our surgical team properly assess your current health status.

To expedite the preregistration process, be sure to bring:

• All of your insurance cards
• A list of all the medications you are currently taking with dosages and times you take them
• Orders for lab work or other similar papers your surgeon has given you
• A copy of your advanced directives if you have any

If you do not require any pre-operative testing, a registered nurse will call you and complete your pre-operative questionnaire by phone. A day or two before your surgery, the preadmission nurse will call to:

• Review your instructions
• identify any special care needs you may have
• talk with you about prescribed medications and allergies to medication or foods
• verify your arrival time
• Answer any questions you may have

If you have any items to discuss specifically with your anesthesiologist, let the preadmission nurse know at this time.