Before Your Surgery
We recommend that you follow these guidelines carefully as you prepare for your surgery. This will help things go as smoothly as possible on the day of your scheduled procedure.
After your doctor has determined the need for your surgery/procedure their office will contact the El Dorado Surgery Center to schedule the time of your procedure. You will then be contacted regarding the date of your surgery. The nurse from the EDSC will be calling you to interview you and obtain a health history in order to make sure we have covered any special needs you might have before arriving at the Surgery Center . They will let you know at this time which of your prescription medications (if any) are appropriate to be taken the day of your surgery/procedure, among other things.
Important Things to Remember
The Days Before Your Surgery/Procedure
Please contact your doctor immediately if you get a cold, cough, fever, stomach flu, or asthma attack any time in the week before your surgery. Please do not wait until the day of your surgery/procedure to tell your doctor.
Please make arrangements to have a responsible adult drive you home after your surgery/procedure and stay with you the night after your surgery. YOU MAY NOT DRIVE HOME AFTER RECEIVING ANY SEDATION OF ANY KIND.
Please do not smoke, drink or chew tobacco at least 12-16 hours before your surgery/procedure is scheduled.
Stop taking any Aspirin or blood thinning medication before your scheduled surgery/procedure, unless told otherwise by your anesthesiologist or surgeon.
You should discuss ALL medications, non-prescription, prescription, over-the-counter, street drugs, or herbs that you might be taking with your anesthesiologist and nurse BEFORE your scheduled procedure.
Make sure you fill any prescriptions your doctor may have given you during your pre-surgery interview, before the actual day of surgery. When you are done with your surgery it is best to go straight home and rest and not worry about picking up any prescriptions on your way. Often times you will need to start on your pain medication immediately to insure your comfort and rest.
The Evening Before Your Surgery/Procedure
DO NOT eat or drink anything 8 hours before your procedure unless you have been told something else. Your stomach needs to be empty for surgery. Procedures without sedation will have different specifications.
The Morning of Your Surgery/Procedure
Keep your stomach empty! This is VERY important. Don’t even chew mints, gum, or candy. You may brush your teeth or use mouthwash.
If your doctor told you to take any medications on the morning of surgery make sure you take them with only a sip of water.
Please dress in loose-fitting clothes, especially if you are going to have surgery on an arm or leg. Bulky dressings may be applied after the surgery and you will need to wear something home that can fit over that.
Do not bring any valuables with you. Leave all jewelry at home, and arrange to leave your wallet or purse with your waiting friend or family member. If you are having surgery on a foot or hand, please make sure you are not wearing any nail polish and remove all rings. This applies to any part of the body that may have jewelry adorning it.
Please do not wear any makeup.
Please bring your insurance card and information with you to present to the secretary on your arrival. If you happen to have any X-ray films, CT scans or lab work that is related to your surgery/procedure, please bring them with you if you haven’t already given them to the doctor.
Make sure you arrive at EDSC at lease 1 hour before your surgery/procedure is scheduled. We need to use this time to finish preparing you for surgery. Also sometimes there are cancellations and we will need to move your surgery forward. This will help us keep everybody else on time for their surgery.
After Arriving at the Surgery Center
You will be asked to sit in the waiting area after you have checked in at the front desk and have given your appropriate information to the secretary. A nurse will come out and call your name when they receive your information.
The nurse will take you back to a private area where you will be asked to put on a special gown. Your clothing will be put into a bag labeled with your name and ID and kept in a drawer or underneath your bed the entire time of your stay in the surgery center.
An IV line will be started most likely on one of your arms/hands. This is necessary to get fluids into your body and give you medications as needed for your anesthesia.
If your friends or family wish to find out the progress of your procedure they should contact the secretary at the front desk who will have direct communication with the Operating Room staff. If they plan on leaving the surgery center for any reason they should leave a contact number with the front desk and an estimated time of return before leaving.
When it is time for your surgery, The Operating Room staff will come and talk to you and have you reconfirm any allergies or special needs you may have before you become sedated.
Your Surgery/Procedure
You will be taken from the Pre-op waiting area into an Operating Room and will be most likely transferred to an Operating Room table. There you will have an automatic blood pressure cuff placed on your arm and 3 small sticky EKG patches placed on your chest, side and maybe back. These are all standard procedures for everybody who comes into the Operating Room. The anesthesiologist or nurse will be monitoring your heart, pulse and blood pressure the entire time to make sure you are comfortable and as pain free as possible.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS or just share your concerns! We want to make this experience as comfortable as possible for you.
Other equipment may be used depending on your surgery/procedure, such as TV monitors or X-ray.
After your procedure you will be transferred into the Recovery Room (PACU) for further monitoring until you are fully awake and ready to go home.
You will be sent home with a detailed instruction sheet telling you how to care for your surgical site.
Please expect a phone call from our friendly nursing staff in the next few days following your surgery/procedure. We want to make sure you are well on your way to full healing.