When
You First Arrive...
On the day of your
procedure, you will
be asked to arrive
one to two hours prior
to your procedure.
Our Admitting Representative
will greet you, verify
your demographic information,
take a copy of your
insurance card(s),
and apply an identification
band to your wrist.
You will wait with
your family in the
family room until
the nursing staff
escorts you to the
preoperative area.
For your family's
comfort, it is advisable
for them to bring
a sweater and something
to read while waiting
in the family room.
In
the Preoperative Area...
You will be asked
to remove your clothing
and jewelry. You will
be given a gown, slippers,
and cap to wear. Your
belongings will be
placed in a bag with
your name on it and
placed in a secure
location. Items like
dentures, glasses,
and contact lenses
may be used until
it is time to enter
the operating room.
In some cases you
will be permitted
or required to continue
using them. Our nursing
staff will review
your medical and surgical
history, and take
your vital signs (blood
pressure, pulse, and
temperature). They
will ask you about
the last time you
had anything to eat
or drink and if you
have any allergies.
They will ask about
special needs or concerns
and explain what you
and your family can
expect during your
stay. You will be
asked to verify and
sign a surgical consent
form.
A member from our
anesthesia care team
will review your health
history and talk with
you about appropriate
anesthesia options.
They will review your
personal history and
the type of anesthesia
that they feel will
be best for you, depending
upon your medical
history and your surgical
procedure. You will
have the opportunity
to ask questions and
provide information
that may be important
to your care. Once
your questions have
been answered, you
will be asked to sign
an Anesthesia Consent
Form.
The registered nurse
from the operating
room will talk with
you and verify that
all the essential
information has been
obtained. An intravenous
line will be started
in your arm and you
may be given some
IV medication to sedate
you (make you drowsy),
prior to entering
the operating room.
You will be transferred
via stretcher to the
operating room.
In
the Operating Room...
You will transfer
from the stretcher
to an operating room
bed. Monitoring equipment
will be applied to
your chest and a finger.
This allows the surgical
team to continuously
observe your heart
rate, blood pressure
and oxygen level in
your blood. Safety
devices will be used
to keep you safe,
comfortable, and secure
while on the operating
room bed.
Anesthesia...
Our anesthesia care
team consists of anesthesiologists
(M.D.'s), and nurse
anesthetists (CRNA's)
that are experienced
in providing anesthesia
to patients that will
go home the same day
of surgery.
Outpatient surgical
procedures are performed
with general anesthesia
(you are put to sleep
and a tube in your
trachea or windpipe
is inserted to breath
for you), and monitored
anesthesia (you are
in a sleep-like state
without the need for
a breathing tube).
Our anesthesia care
team will remain with
you and monitor you
continuously throughout
your operative procedure.
Following your surgery,
the anesthesia care
team will continue
to monitor the progress
of your recovery,
up until the time
you are "discharged"
home.
Recovery
Room (PACU)...
Following your procedure,
you will be taken
to the post-anesthesia
recovery unit or PACU.
You can expect to
be recovering for
approximately 1 to
1 1/2 hours. You will
not be fully awake
when you first arrive.
It may seem like a
flurry of activity.
You will begin in
Phase 1 where a surgical
team will give a report
of your surgical experience
to the recovery room
nurse. She or he will
perform an initial
assessment and place
some monitoring equipment
on you similar to
equipment used in
the operating room.
An automatic blood
pressure cuff will
be applied to your
arm and will take
your blood pressure
every five minutes.
You will be frequently
asked about your pain
level on a scale of
one to ten, with ten
being the most painful.
You will be given
pain medication to
keep you as comfortable
as possible. You may
have an oxygen cannula
in your nose or a
mask on your face
until you are more
awake. The nurses
will remind you to
take frequent deep
breaths. You will
remain on a stretcher
in Phase 1 until you
are awake, your blood
pressure, pulse, and
respirations are stable,
and your pain level
is controlled. Then
you will be taken
to Phase 2 recovery
area.
While recovering
in Phase 2 your family
members will join
you and may remain
with you until it
is time for you to
go home. Although
it may vary, outpatients
can expect to stay
in the recovery unit
for approximately
1 to 2 hours. One
family member and/or
visitor at a time
is allowed in the
Phase 2 recovery area.
Children that are
patients may be accompanied
by two adults. You
will be assisted to
a reclining chair
and be given some
light nourishment
including water, juice
and/or crackers. You
may be given some
pain medication by
mouth. You will begin
the process of discharge
to home.
Discharge
Home...
The nurses will remove
your IV, assist you
with getting dressed,
help you to the bathroom,
and check your dressings
over the operative
site. The nurses will
begin teaching you
and your family or
caregiver how to continue
your care at home.
Written discharge
instructions will
be provided to help
you remember important
information explained
by the nurse. Your
physician may provide
you with additional
instructions specific
to your procedure.
You will have the
opportunity to ask
questions until you
feel prepared to continue
your care at home.
When you are ready
to go home, you will
be taken by wheelchair
to your vehicle.
Back
to Top
Our nursing staff will
phone you the day following
your surgery to make
sure you are doing well
and to answer any questions
you may have. They will
also ask you about your
experience at NDS. They
want to know about your
degree of satisfaction
with the services you
received and if you
have any suggestions
for improvement. Upon
discharge, you will
be given a Patient
Satisfaction Survey
that we encourage you
to complete and return.
You may also click
here and complete it
online. Your feedback
helps us to continually
improve the way we care
for our patients. Your
comments are very important
to us.
