Before Your Procedure
General Instructions for Outpatient Surgery
If you are scheduled for Outpatient Surgery, your doctor will provide you with specific instructions. It is important to follow these instructions very carefully. If you do not understand them, or have questions, please call your doctor's office prior to the date of your surgery.
Below are some general guidelines that apply to most Outpatient Surgeries:
1. You should have nothing to eat or drink after 12:00 (midnight) the night before surgery. This includes coffee, water, soft drinks, gum, mints, ice chips and chewing tobacco/dip. Do not drink alcohol the night before surgery.
2. Registration:
Register in the front lobby from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please register in the Emergency Department any other time.
3. Please bring all medication bottles with you the morning of surgery and give the bottles of medications (including over the counter medications and vitamins) to the nurse the morning of surgery.
4. Ask your physician when you need to stop your blood thinning medication or aspirin in advance of your surgical procedure.
5. Please let your physician know if you have a pacemaker or internal defibrillator. You will need to see your Cardiologist to ensure proper functioning prior to surgery.
6. Take your daily medications the morning of surgery with a sip of water except oral blood sugar medication. Take ½ your normal insulin dose if taking insulin for blood sugar control.
7. Do not smoke the morning of surgery.
8. Wear loose fitting clothing and slip on shoes. Wear cotton underwear the day of surgery.
9. Someone must come with you and drive you home or your surgery will be cancelled. Two people may wait with you in the pre-op area until surgery time. No visitors are allowed in the recovery area.
10. Family is welcome to wait in the surgery waiting area during your procedure. Please have a family member available at all times in the waiting area. Your physician will come to the waiting area to talk to your family after surgery.
11. Please leave valuables at home or leave them with the person who brings you to the hospital. All jewelry must be removed prior to surgery; this includes ALL bodily piercings.
12. Dentures, glasses, or contact lenses must be removed before surgery. These items can be removed after arriving at the hospital.
13. Take a shower on the morning of surgery before coming to the hospital and brush your teeth. Do not wear cosmetics or nail polish, underarm deodorant, lotions or powders.
14. Please call your physician’s office immediately if you find it necessary to cancel your surgery or call the Outpatient Surgery Department at 502-868-1189.
15. On the day of surgery if you have a cough, cold, congestion, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea—take your temperature. If your temperature is over 100º, call 502-868-1189 before coming to the hospital.
16. Your doctor has scheduled a time for your surgery, however there are unplanned events that occur in the Operating Room that may delay your surgical procedure. Sometimes there is a wait but we will keep you informed of delays as they arise.
17. Following your surgery someone MUST stay with you for the next 24 hours.
For information about what you should expect following your surgery, click here.