OSF Medical Group

Preparing for Surgery

General Guidelines

  • Wear loose-fitting clothing.
  • Leave all jewelry and valuables at home.
  • You must have a responsible escort to accompany you home if you have sedation or an anesthetic. You should make arrangements for someone to be with you the first 24 hours after an operation.
  • If you are a smoker, it is best to quit before any surgery (preferably at least one month prior to your scheduled surgery).
  • If anything prevents you from keeping your appointment, such as a cold, cough, fever, or infection, inform our office promptly.
  • There may be diet restrictions before surgery. You will be instructed what to do at the time of your evaluation in the surgical office.
  • Some operations require you to have your bowel cleansed before an operation. You will be given instructions on how to do this if necessary.
  • If you need to take medications regularly, be certain to discuss with your surgeon what you should do.
  • Do not wear lipstick, fingernail polish, mascara or contact lenses.
  • Remove ALL rings and jewelry prior to coming to the hospital on the day of surgery. This is necessary to avoid complications from the operation or intravenous lines.
  • Bring along insurance information.

Tests

Which tests you may require will be influenced by your surgical problem, the planned operation, and any medical conditions that may influence the outcome.

  • Sometimes it may not be necessary to have any tests.
  • Commonly it is necessary to undergo blood and/or urine tests.
  • If your medical condition warrants, you may have an examination of your heart (EKG) and/or your lungs (chest X-ray).  Should other tests be required, they will be explained to you.

Documents to Bring

  • Insurance card(s)
  • Photo identification
  • Any orders/prescriptions your physician/provider gave you
  • List of current medications and the dose you are taking, or bring your medicine bottles with you

What Clothes to Wear/Bring

To improve your comfort following surgery, we recommend the following (applicable for all ages/genders):

Hip & Knee Surgeries

  • Shorts, sweatpants or pants with an elastic waist that are loose fitting, preferably one size larger than you usually wear

Shoulder Surgery

  • A shirt that buttons up the front and is one or two sizes bigger than you normally wear
  • No pullover shirts or hoodies

Abdominal Surgery

Example: gall bladder removal, appendix removal, C-section, etc.

  • Shorts, sweatpants or elastic waist pants that are loose fitting, preferably one size larger than you usually wear
  • A shirt that buttons up the front
  • No pullover shirts or hoodies

Chest Surgery

Example: pacemakers, breast biopsies, mastectomy, gallbladder, chest tube placement/revision, etc.

  • A shirt that buttons up the front and is one or two sizes bigger than you normally wear
  • No pullover shirts or hoodies

"Scope" procedure

Example: colonoscopy, lower GI and upper GI tests, etc.

  • Bring an extra set of clothing (pants, socks, shoes and undergarments)

Foot Surgery

  • Loose fitting shoes and socks

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

  • Loose and baggy shirt with short sleeves and/or loose jacket/coat, as needed
  • Sweatpants or pants with an elastic band at the waist, as you will not be able to use both hands to button or snap clothes
  • Slip-on shoes or slippers, as you will only have one hand with which to fasten them

For the Trip Home

  • Two pillows for you or your family member/friend's comfort
  • 1-2 blankets for you or your family member/friend's comfort
  • Container (such as a small wastebasket or bucket) in case you or your family member/friend feels sick