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