All patients will need an up-to-date medical history and physical form. Some may need blood tests, EKG or x-rays. Your surgeon will advise where to complete these.
Some patients may choose to come to the facility before their surgery date to complete paperwork or make payments. We strongly recommend that you complete all pre-operative documentation before the day of surgery.
A member of our team will contact you prior to surgery to obtain the necessary information for your pre-registration. We will ask for a health history and will review your insurance coverage, copays and deductibles with you.
Please notify your surgeon as early as possible if you cannot make your scheduled appointment. Early notification can help us better accommodate you and other patients.
Please wear comfortable clothing. Button-down shirts or blouses are best. Wear comfortable shoes. Leave all jewelry at home, including body-piercing jewelry. If you wear contact lenses, you will likely have to remove them for the surgery, so consider bringing your glasses. If you have to wear your contacts, please bring contact solution and contacts case. Please do not wear any make-up as this can hide certain clinical signs. Please remove all body piercings.
You refrain from eating and/or drinking prior to surgery in order to prevent the risks of aspirating gastric contents during your surgery. This complication is very serious and you need to strictly abide by these recommendations.
We have very clear policies as to specific times before surgery when you must refrain from eating and/or drinking. These are all based on safety standards. Please note that the standards have been revised recently. We believe that the fasting time should be as short as possible before your surgery. You will not improve your safety by not eating or drinking longer than necessary; in fact, at times, you may complicate things a bit.
We generally request that you take your medication before leaving home. Diabetic medications will be individualized. We will hold diabetic medicines and manage your sugar at the Center. You should be contacted before your surgery, leaving no doubts in your mind as to which medications you should take. Please bring all your medications with you in the original labeled bottles from your pharmacy.
Those using inhalers must bring them to the facility on the day of surgery.
Some medications will be stopped for the surgery, particularly diabetes medication and blood thinners. You should bring these medications with you on the day of surgery. Please call us with any questions you may have.
Herbal medications may have harmful effects on the surgery. Many of these remedies may affect your clotting mechanism and interfere with the anesthetic agents. (The list of drugs and their side effects are too great for this site.) We generally request that you stop these medications two weeks before surgery. Please remember to mention these remedies when being asked about medication.
For patients having outpatient surgery, you are required to bring one adult with you who can drive you home after your procedure.
When a patient is a child, often two parents and/or guardians will accompany him or her to the Center. We will do our best to accommodate everyone, however, one parent and/or guardian will be permitted into the recovery room at a time.
We will individualize each patient’s care.
Yes. We call each patient before the surgery to gather information and conduct your medical history. Our team will answer any questions you may have at that time.
Yes. You can comfortably take a shower, bathe, brush your teeth, etc. Please do not use make up, hair spray, nail polish or toiletries. These may interfere with the anesthesia monitoring and possibly hide clinical signs from the anesthesiologist.
If you are not feeling well, please contact your surgeon immediately. During normal business hours, you can call the facility for advice. There are some surgeries which are safer if delayed when you are sick. We need to know specific details to make the decision. Please do not delay in contacting your surgeon or the hospital.
This will not affect most surgical procedures. There are a few specific gynecological procedures which may be impacted by menstruation. Call us if you have any questions at 928.558.7001.
It is very important for us to be aware of this possibility. Only essential surgery is done on pregnant patients. If there is any doubt please contact us immediately.
Any patient receiving anesthesia should not drive until the next day. A patient receiving sedation for a procedure needs a ride home. The few patients who have procedures performed under local anesthesia alone could possibly drive home.
We would strongly recommend that all patients have a ride home and will be received by a responsible adult when they arrive home. Patients will not be allowed to drive, walk or take public transportation after sedation or anesthesia. Please make the appropriate arrangements.
All patients will be seen by the anesthesiologist on the day of surgery prior to entering the operating room. Sufficient time should be spent answering any questions you may have. If you need to speak to the anesthesiologist before the day of surgery, you are welcome to call the facility and we will arrange for you to speak with an anesthesiologist.
We will make every effort to accommodate any special need you may have. We strongly encourage you to call the facility in advance so that we can properly prepare to make you comfortable. Do not hesitate to call and suggest anything that may make your stay easier.
Yes. Please bring any walkers, post-op crutches, hearing aids, etc.
The management of your pain is of great importance to us. We will be assessing your level of pain from the time of admission until you receive our post-operative call at home. We need to inform and prepare you for each step of the process. This education will begin with our first contact. You will be repeatedly asked to rate your pain from a numerical scale called the Visual Analog Pain Scale, or for children, the Faces Pain Scale. Using the results of our communication, we will alter the therapy as needed to assure your comfort.
The management of your pain will be taken very seriously. We will often use a combination of different modalities to help make you comfortable, choosing from oral medications, intravenous medications, nerve blocks, injection of local anesthetic during the surgery, etc. and prior to the surgery, the management of your pain should be discussed with both your anesthesiologist and surgeon. Please feel free to bring up any concerns or fears you may have. Remember that information on pain management gives you the appropriate expectations and hence a smoother, more comfortable recovery.
Yes, in certain situations. Some operations can be performed using a choice of different anesthetic types. Your anesthesiologist will discuss available options with you after reviewing your medical history. Your preference will be discussed so that the most appropriate anesthetic plan is made.
You and your anesthesiologist will develop an anesthetic care plan.
All operations and all anesthetics have risks and they are dependent upon many factors including the type of surgery and the medical condition of the patient.