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Prentice Surgical Services - Surgery Instructions

Before Surgery

Pre-operative Testing
Medical tests and exams can be completed as far out as twenty one days before surgery and no later than three days before surgery. Prentice Surgical Services must have your pre-operative tests 48 hours before your surgery.

Tests and exams may include, but are not limited to:

  • EKG (Males 40 and older, Females 50 and older)
  • Complete Blood Count (depending on surgery)
  • Blood Chemistry (Patients 65 and older)
  • Urine Pregnancy Test (Females less than 49)
  • History and Physical Exam

 

Your surgeon's office will give you a list of tests that are required for your surgery. Review the list with your surgeon or primary care physician to determine if you have recently completed any tests or exams on the list.

Pre-Registration

Call (312) 926-2950 at least two business days before your surgery to register with the hospital. Please have your social security number and insurance information ready.

A nurse will call you one business day before your surgery to schedule your surgery time and provide arrival information, diet and medication instructions and discharge information. Feel free to ask the nurse questions at this time. If you have future questions, a nurse can be contacted at (312) 926-7420.

General diet and medication instructions

Follow your doctor's pre-surgery guidelines for diet, medicines or bowel preparation. Remember the exact time you ate or drank to report to the nurse on the day of your surgery.

If diet and medication instructions were not given, please do the following:

  • Two weeks before surgery:
    • Stop taking herbal medicines and medicines containing aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, such as Advil® or Motrin®. Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) is acceptable for helping with mild pain. Contact your doctor or pharmacist with questions.
  • Night before surgery:
    • Eat a light or bland meal for dinner the night before your surgery
    • For surgery scheduled at or before 12 noon, do not eat or drink after midnight
    • For surgery scheduled after 12 noon, you may have clear liquids (water, coffee or tea without cream or sugar, apple juice or cranberry juice) until 8 a.m. on the morning of your surgery.
    • Take approved medicine with small sips of water
    • Shower and wash your hair
    • Remove nail polish, make-up and jewelry, including body-piercing and tongue studs

 

Preparing for your Hospital Visit

Travel Arrangements

Make arrangements to have a responsible adult assist you in getting home.

What to bring:

  • Photo ID
  • Insurance card
  • Medicare card (for Medicare patients)
  • List of allergies
  • List of current medicines
  • Test or physical exam reports (if done recently)
  • Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing
  • Containers for contact lenses, eye glasses, or dentures
  • Toiletries and other personal items, if you will be staying overnight
  • Leave valuables at home

 

Day of Surgery

Diet and Medication Instructions

  • Do not swallow anything, including the water you use to brush your teeth
  • Unless instructed otherwise by your surgeon, take your regular medicines on the morning of surgery with small sips of water
  • If you are diabetic, ask your doctor about taking your insulin

 

Arriving at the Hospital
Check-in 1-1/2 hours before your surgery at the Prentice Women's Hospital, 250 E. Superior St. You will be directed to the waiting area until called by a nurse. If your wait is longer than expected, our staff will keep you updated. Parking is available.

Preparation
In your pre-operative (pre-op) room, a nurse will review your medical history, take your temperature, blood pressure, pulse and insert an intravenous (IV) into your arm or hand.

Your surgeon, anesthesiologist or primary care doctor, as well as residents and medical students may visit to answer questions.

Although the length of time varies, the wait time before surgery is approximately two hours. If your wait is extended, the nurse will keep you informed. You may have two adult visitors at a time with you while you wait. Other visitors can wait in the family waiting room. Visitors may not go with you when you are moved to the operating room (OR).

Anesthesia
A mild relaxing medicine may be given to you before going to the OR. Anesthesia is given in the OR. Your anesthesiologist and surgeon will explain the type of anesthetic that is best for you; based on your surgery and medical history. Five types of anesthesia may be used:

  • Local anesthesia Numbing medicine injected around the incision site, resulting in a lack of feeling in that area only. You will remain awake.
  • Epidural or Spinal anesthesia Numbing medicine injected into the mid or lower back resulting in numbing the nerves close to the incision and nearby areas. With spinal anesthesia, you may lack feeling from the waist to the toes. Feeling returns in a few hours. It is normal to have trouble urinating for a short time.
  • General anesthesia may begin with an IV medicine and also includes breathing anesthetic gases mixed with oxygen. You will not be aware of the surgery or your surroundings. A breathing tube may be placed into your windpipe to help you breathe during surgery, causing a slight sore throat the day after surgery. Before surgery, tell the anesthesiologist about your crowns, bridges or loose teeth so extra care can be taken.
  • Nerve block anesthesia is a type of to local anesthesia used for arm or leg surgery. Numbing medicine is injected close to a nerve to numb the entire limb. Sedation or a light general anesthesia is also given, allowing you to sleep during surgery. Depending on the surgery, your limb may be numb for 24-48 hours.
  • Monitored Anesthetic Care (MAC) uses both a local anesthetic at the incision site and IV medicine to relax you (sedation). MAC is similar to general anesthesia but does not require the use of a breathing tube. Once surgery is over, you will be awake.

 

Visitor Information
Family and friends may wait in the waiting room during your procedure. Lap top computers and cell phones are allowed.

For safety and privacy reasons, children under the age of 16 may not visit the patient care areas, but they are welcome in the waiting room with a responsible adult to supervise.

After Surgery

Recovery
Your surgeon will speak to your family in the waiting room after your surgery. Your family may see you when you return to the recovery unit or when you are in your hospital room.

If you are going home on the day of your surgery, you may go from the OR to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). In PACU, the nurses will closely monitor your status until you are ready to return to the Prentice Outpatient Recovery Room. Some patients go directly back to Prentice Outpatient Recovery. Most patients spend about one hour in PACU, then another hour in SDS before discharge.

If an overnight hospital stay is needed, you will go to PACU after surgery where you will recover for at least an hour. From the PACU you may go to the Observation Unit that provides the full range of inpatient services for stays 24 hours or less or to the hospital inpatient unit.

Your nurse will keep you and your family informed about when you will be moved.

Discharge
Your nurse will assess your readiness to go home. You will be given a prescription for pain as well as specific guidelines about:

  • Incision care
  • Diet
  • Activity
  • Medicine
  • When to call the doctor
  • Who to call with questions
  • Follow-up appointments

 

If you have questions or concerns about your follow-up care, ask the nurse. Remember, you must have a responsible adult assist you with getting home safely.

Surgery Guide
Schedule Pre-Op Testing