Tests Prior to Day of Surgery

If your physician orders lab tests, prior to surgery you will need to arrange for them to be performed either at your primary care physician's office or an outside laboratory approved by your insurance company. Our office does not perform these tests. The facility where your surgery is being performed will contact you to inform you of the time to arrive the day of surgery.

Food

We recommend that you do not smoke or consume alcohol for at least 48 hours prior to surgery. We recommend eating a light dinner and drinking fluids the evening before your surgery. Please do not consume milk products or food after midnight of the evening prior to your surgery. If a clear liquid diet is specified, some suggestions include black coffee, tea, apple juice, or pulp free orange juice. Please note that milk is not included in a clear liquid diet. The Anesthesiologist or Nurse from the facility will provide you with instructions on which medications you are allowed to take immediately before your surgery. If instructed to take any medications they are to be consumed with only a sip of water.

Dress

1. Please wear comfortable, loose clothing appropriate for the procedure being performed.
2. Nail polish, makeup, jewelry, and watches should not be worn the day of surgery. Possible exceptions should be specifically discussed with the pre-op nurse or anesthesiologist.
3. Do not bring any valuables with you. You may wear dentures and glasses to the facility however it is recommended that you bring the case to place them in during surgery. The Surgery Center is not responsible for any lost or misplaced items.
4. Bathe or shower the night before surgery.
5. Remember to bring your photo identification and insurance cards, any facility co-insurance/co-pay amount due, and any forms your physician’s office has provided to you.

Transportation

It is necessary to make arrangements for a responsible adult to drive you home, and ideally to stay with you the first night following your surgery. The facility will not release you to drive yourself home or call make arrangements for you.

Medical Issues & Tests

If you suspect that you are pregnant, please notify your physician and anesthesia personnel. A pregnancy test will be performed on all women of childbearing age prior to surgery. Anesthesia and medications may be harmful to the developing fetus. If you experience any health changes between your last visit to your physician and the time of your procedure, please notify your physician immediately. Please report even minor changes, such as an elevated temperature, cold, or cough.

1. At reception you will be asked to complete the forms that apply to your stay with us, such as Assignments of Benefits, estimate of charges, resuscitate consent, and Medicare's Advance Beneficiary Notice, if applicable.
2. In the pre-operative waiting area, a health care provider, such as the physician or a physician assistant, will have you read and sign a Consent to Surgery form, acknowledging your understanding of the procedure and granting permission for your physician to perform the scheduled procedure or procedures. If the person having surgery is a minor, or is unable to sign forms, then the consent form must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.
3. A parent or legal guardian must accompany any minor or impaired adult the day of surgery, and remain at the Facility throughout the patient's stay.
4. A nurse will obtain and/or verify a health history, including height, weight, temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. A pregnancy test will be performed on all females of childbearing age. An EKG will be performed for patients who have a cardiac history, and a blood glucose test will be performed for those patients with a history of diabetes. Once these have been completed she/he will assist in preparing you for your surgery.
5. You will be asked to change into a surgical gown. Your clothes and personal belongings will be placed into a personal belongings bag. You may either have the bag placed into a patient locker, or you may give it to the person who has accompanied you to the Facility. Please remember to leave all valuables at home.
6. Once the pre-operative nurse has completed preparing you for surgery, you may invite one person into the pre-op waiting area to wait with you.

After your surgical procedure has been performed, you will be moved to our fully-equipped, post anesthesia care unit, where you will be closely monitored by the anesthesiologist and the recovery nurses until you are deemed ready to go home or moved to your inpatient room. Although the length of stay in the post-anesthesia care unit varies according to the type of procedure that was performed and your physician's instructions, most patients are discharged within one hour following surgery.

There are three different levels of post-operative care.

Phase 1 Recovery: For patients who have had general anesthesia.
Phase 2 Recovery
Phase 3 Final Recovery: Visitors are allowed in Phase 3 Final Recovery.

Your surgeon will provide post-operative instructions regarding diet, rest, exercise, and medications. The Facility will provide you with a written copy of these instructions. The Anesthesia Department will discharge you when they are confident you are in stable condition. You may experience sleepiness, dizziness, or nausea. These are normal side effects, and may continue for 12 to 24 hours.

As it is normal to feel drowsy after receiving an anesthetic, we also recommend that you postpone the following activities for at least 24 hours after discharge:

1. Driving and operating equipment or machinery
2. Signing important papers
3. Making significant decisions
4. Drinking alcoholic beverages

The day following your surgery or discharge from the hospital one of the facilities nurses will call you to check on your progress and answer any questions you may have.

The fee for the use of the Facility may equipment, supplies, medications administered at the time of surgery, nursing care, and the use of the operating and recovery rooms. There may be additional charges for special or extraordinary items not included in this predetermined fee. The Facility fee does not include the surgeon, anesthesiologist, radiology, pathology, or laboratory fees. These entities will be billing you separately.

Our Center will bill your insurance company as a courtesy, however, the balance due is ultimately the responsibility of the patient, and will be requested from you if your insurance company does not pay within 60 days

Most outpatient procedures performed in our facility are covered in whole or in part by medical insurance. You may be required to pay a deductible or co-pay as required by your insurance. Full payment is expected at the time of admission for non-covered procedures and for patients without medical insurance. Our Center accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or personal checks (from a local bank accompanied with a picture ID). Please note there is a $35.00 fee for insufficient funds checks returned to the facility.

If you are visiting our Center with a patient, you may stay with the patient in the pre-operative waiting area once the patient has been prepared for surgery. During surgery, you may either wait in the reception waiting room, or you may be allowed to leave the premises after speaking with a pre-op nurse, who will give you an estimated time to return. You may rejoin the patient after surgery in the Final Recovery Area.