Before Surgery
Tests and Procedures
Your physician may schedule your for additional tests prior to your surgery. tests could include:
- Chest x-rays
- Electrocardiograms (ECG/EKG)
- Blood tests
- Urine samples
Ask your physician or nurse about fasting or other special instruction before any pre-surgical test.
If you have a pre-operative testing appointment, please bring the following:
- Driver’s license or identification card
- Insurance card
- List of all medications and supplements, including doses and how often
Preparing for Surgery
Follow your surgeon’s instructions regarding diet the day of surgery. If your surgeon has not specifically instructed you, follow anesthesia guidelines:
- DO NOT consume solids or unclear liquids within 8 hours. DO NOT consume clear liquids within 2 hours of the procedure.
- Clear liquids include water, black coffee, apple juice, KoolAid, and Gatorade/sport drinks. Orange juice and coffee with cream are NOT clear liquids.
- Ask your physician if you should stop taking blood thinners (such as Coumadin, Plavix, aspirin, or ibuprofen) before surgery.
- If you get a cold, fever or rash, call your physician. Surgery may need to be postponed until you recover.
- Please make arrangements in advance for someone to bring you and take you home from your surgery. Arrange a caretaker at home for the first 24 hours, to assist you if needed.
- Bring a copy of your living will if you have one, or other advance directives. Information about advance medical directives will be provided to you after arrive.
- Follow your physician’s order about your medications, especially if you are diabetic and require insulin.
- Shower or bathe the night before or day of surgery or follow the special instructions given by your surgeon. Avoid shaving the surgical site area.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
- Leave valuables (jewelry, cash, credit cards, etc.) at home.
- Remove all makeup and nail polish.
What to bring
- Insurance cards, Driver’s License or Identification card.
- A parent or legal guardian if you are under age 18.
- A list of medications and herbal supplements you are currently taking including dose and how often.
- A robe, slippers and toiletries if staying overnight.
The Day of Your Surgery
Checking-In
Free parking is abundant at all Halifax Health locations. Wheelchairs can easily be provided upon arrival at your request.
Valet parking is available at Halifax Health Medical Center’s Fountain Building and France Tower main entrances.
Once admitted, you will be taken to a surgery preparation area, where a family member or friend can wait with you.
Glasses, contacts, hearing aids and dentures may need to be removed immediately prior to surgery.
Anesthesia
If you require anesthesia, it wil be administred by our highly-qualified anethsia care team. To provide optimum safety, the anesthesiologist directing the team is responsible for overseeing all stages of the anesthesia plan.
You will be provided with a multimodal management plan. The use of narcotics, non-narcotic pain relievers, injection of local anesthetic at the site and the use of nerve blocks may be offered to you. It is important to communicate clearly how you feel, so that the best approach can be tailored to your needs.
After Surgery
Recovery
Following surgery, you will be taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) recovery room. During your initial recovery period, your vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate will be monitored.
After Surgery Pain Control
As your anesthetic wears off, you may experience discomfort. We may ask you to rate your pain on a scale of one to ten. This will help us determine how best to control your pain.
Insurance
It is ultimately your responsibility to contact your insurance company prior to admission to find out if prior authorization is required. Financial counseling is available if you have questions about payment plans, insurance coverage or assistance programs. If you would like to talk with a financial counselor, please call 386.254.4107.
Halifax Health is consistently named one of the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in America. Halifax Health was recognized by The Joint Commission for exemplary performance in suing evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care.