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Surgery - Know What To Expect
Welcome to University HospitalWelcome to University Hospital. We are committed to providing you with the finest care available, because your health is our first priority. We also wish to make your stay with us as comfortable and pleasant as possible. Having a procedure can be a stressful time for both you and your family. Therefore, knowing what to expect will often make this time easier. This booklet provides you with the information you will need to prepare for your procedure. We encourage you to ask questions any time. You and your family are important to us and we value your input into your plan of care. General InformationPlanning for your University Hospital stay and knowing what to expect will help you feel more comfortable. The following information will help you in preparing for the procedure:
LodgingYou may want to arrange to stay the night before your procedure in local lodging if you live more than 50 miles from University Hospital. Many area lodging facilities provide special rates for patients of University Hospital and their families. However, it is necessary to ask for these rates. This is based upon availability and there is no guarantee rooms will be available. If you choose to use this service, arrangements may be made through our Social Services Department. Please contact (315) 464-5175 or 1-800-528-5790 for more information. What to Bring and What to Arrange
What to Leave at Home
ParkingParking is available at an hourly rate in C-Lot. This is an open lot across from the parking garage on C-D road. Providing for Your CareThere are many different health care providers you will meet during your stay with us. These individuals function as a team. Here are a few of them: Medical Staff: Your doctor (also called the attending doctor) is responsible for your medical care and will consult with you on decisions affecting your treatment. Your doctor is a member of the faculty of SUNY Upstate Medical University's College of Medicine. While you are a patient, you may be visited by a number of consulting Medical Doctors, Residents, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and senior medical students. The contribution of these professionals to your treatment is great, but the ultimate responsibility for your care rests with your physician. Anesthesiologist: A doctor specializing in anesthesia will consult with you on the day of your operation. This doctor will gather additional information regarding your medical history so that the most appropriate anesthesia is selected. Please ask any questions you wish regarding this operation. Remember, no question is too small if it helps you feel better about your operation. Nursing Professionals: A Registered Nurse is responsible for planning and directing your care while you are in the hospital. They are helped by Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN's) and Hospital Attendants (HA's). Case Managers: If you have complex medical and/or psychosocial needs you may be assigned to a Case Manager. Our Case Managers are highly skilled health care professionals. The Case Manager will consult with your physicians and other health care providers on your behalf to assure that your needs are met in a timely and efficient manner. Social Workers: Our Social Workers assist patients and their families in addressing and solving problems related to hospitalization and health care needs. Social Workers can help in: Nursing home placement, arranging home care services, obtaining financial assistance and medical equipment, and other health related services. Social Work Services are available to all patients. For assistance, contact the Social Work Services Department on the first floor of the hospital at (315) 464-5175, or ask a nurse to contact a Social Worker. Other Health Care Professionals: Your physician may order other procedures or treatments such as laboratory, radiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology, and respiratory therapy. The work of the professionals in these departments enhances your doctor's efforts to diagnose your condition and speed your recovery. Preparing for Your Procedure
PretestingBefore the day of your admission an appointment will be made for a medical history and physical exam, signing of your consent form and any necessary testing. If the person is an adult and unable to give consent, the Legal Guardian must either be present or send authorization for treatment. Proof of legal guardianship is required. Screening Tests: Tests may be done before your procedure (blood work, urine test, electrocardiogram (EKG) and/or chest x-ray). The results of these tests give the doctor additional information about your health status. Exam: A physical exam will be done before your procedure. You will be asked about allergies, past or present medical illness, and any surgeries or hospitalizations you have had. A written list of current medications and the dosages that you are taking is helpful to the doctors and nurses who are planning your care. Your weight and vital signs, which include your blood pressure, pulse, temperature and respirations will be measured during your exam and throughout your stay. These vital signs give the doctors and nurses important information about you. You will receive instructions about preparation before the procedure and aftercare instructions. Please ask at this time if you have any concerns about any of the instructions. This may mean such things as child care, work limitations, or home care needs. An Anesthesiologist, Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant will meet with you to discuss your anesthesia. You will be asked to sign an operative permit before your procedure. This permit is the legal document consenting to the procedure. You are encouraged to read this document carefully and ask questions about any part of it before signing. When you sign the document, it will be witnessed by someone other than the doctor doing the procedure. Before Your ProcedureArrive at your scheduled time. Remove all jewelry, makeup and nail polish before coming to the hospital. Diet: Most often you can eat your usual diet at supper time, and may eat and drink until midnight. You are not to eat or drink anything after midnight. This is called "NPO". You are also not to chew gum, have any hard candy or throat lozenges. You may receive special instructions to take medications. If so, this must be done with a SIP of water. Bathing: You are asked to take a shower or bath before your procedure. Special soap may be required to disinfect your skin. Smoking: Smoking can have a dramatic effect on the outcome of your procedure. You are encouraged to stop smoking as soon as possible or at least one week before your procedure. University Hospital is a smoke-free facility. The Day of Your ProcedureWhere to Report Please report on time to the Patient Access Service Office (Inpatient Admitting), located on the right side of the Main Lobby, Room 1600. Our Admitting staff will direct you to the appropriate Admission Unit following a brief interview to obtain/confirm basic registration and insurance information. This will vary depending on your admission type: Ambulatory Procedures: AP-1 Room 1637 Ambulatory Surgery Center: ASC Room 3133 Pre-Surgical Holding: 5th Floor East Wing Room 5520 Operating Room: You will be taken to the Operating Room (OR) about one half hour to one hour before your scheduled time. Emergencies may cause some changes in the schedule and there may be delays. The operating room staff wear face and head coverings and special clothes to keep the operating room clean and germ-free. You will also wear a head covering. It is necessary to keep the rooms in the OR cool for the same reason. Ask for a blanket if you should feel cold. Although everyone may look very busy, ask any questions that you may have. Non-surgical procedures are done in various departments in the hospital. Nursing staff will inform you of these areas. There are several waiting areas for families. Please ask a health care provider about which waiting area would be most appropriate for your family. Types of AnesthesiaGeneral Anesthesia: With general anesthesia you will be in a deep sleep. A tube may be placed in your throat to help you breathe. This tube is generally removed before you are awake. The tube may cause you to have a sore throat after the procedure. Regional Anesthesia: With this type of anesthesia an area or a region of your body, such as an arm, is "numbed". You will be awake but will be given medicine to make you drowsy. You may be able to hear the doctors and nurses throughout the operation. You will not feel any pain. Feeling to the "numbed" area will gradually return within a few hours after the procedure. One of the most common types of regional anesthesia is Spinal. What to Expect After Your ProcedureRecovery Room: After your procedure you will be brought to the Recovery Room. The Recovery Room is an open room where you go immediately after the procedure until you are ready to go to your room. In the Recovery Room you will be watched by a nurse as you recover from the procedure and anesthesia medicine. You may be connected to monitors and receive oxygen. Your vital signs will be taken often and you will be asked to take deep breaths. Controlling Your Pain: Our goal is to control your pain and make you comfortable. We will monitor your pain and give you medication as needed. The nurse will ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1-10. One being the least amount of pain and ten being the most. This will help the nurses determine how much medication to give you. Pain medication can be given in pill form, by injection, or intravenously. You may also control your own postoperative pain through the use of Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA). PCA allows you to safely control your pain by pressing a button to receive your pain medication. A machine holds the pain medication ordered by your doctor. It is connected to your existing intravenous (IV) line. This machine is computerized so you cannot give yourself too much medicine. When you press the button, you will receive enough pain medicine to give you relief in a short period of time. Not all patients can have PCA so you might want to ask your doctor or nurse about it. Diet: The food you can eat is decided by the type of procedure you have had. Anesthesia and the pain medicine you are taking tend to slow the natural wavelike movements of the intestines. Your doctor will generally order a liquid diet first, so your stomach does not get "upset". Drink the liquids slowly and in small amounts. Once you can tolerate the liquid diet, you will be advanced to your regular diet or a special diet. You can request special food based upon ethnicity or cultural preference. You are well on the road to recovery once you are eating, able to urinate, and have a bowel movement. Preventing ComplicationsThere are certain things you can do to ensure your safe and speedy recovery: Activity: The type and amount of activity you can do are decided by the type of procedure you have had. An important goal of your recovery should be that you gradually become more mobile. Exercise is an important way to prevent complications after a procedure. You will be out of bed within two hours to 24 hours after the procedure. Walking early after the procedure helps circulation and muscle tone. Although it may be uncomfortable for you, exercise will speed your recovery. Generally, your condition will improve daily. Each day you will be a little stronger and you will be able to do more. You may be unsteady on your feet. This can be due to the type of procedure you had or medications you are taking. For your safety, always have a member of the nursing staff available to help you should you need it. You can speed up your recovery by doing exercises while you are in bed. Since muscular activity helps circulation and strengthens muscles, exercise is usually good for you. If you have had an operation that involves one or both of your legs, ask the nurse or the doctor about the amount and type of exercise you can do. However, if your incision is elsewhere, you should be able to carry out the following simple routines, at least 10 times every hour: Do the following exercises to each leg 10 times every hour while you are awake. You can start practicing these exercises before your procedure:
Do not exert yourself at anytime. Do attempt, however, to do the exercises. You should do them even if you are wearing support stockings or ace bandages. This exercise routine can be stopped once you are allowed out of bed and are moving about freely. You are encouraged to walk as much as possible when allowed to do so by your doctor. If you have difficulty or pain doing the exercise routines, please tell the nurse or doctor. Coughing, Deep Breathing and TurnCoughing, deep breathing and turning are important because they can help prevent you from getting any lung complications. When you turn, assume a position that you are allowed and that is comfortable. Turn slowly as the nurse helps you. A pillow may be positioned behind your back for comfort when you lie on your side. You should turn again in one or two hours. Depending on where your incision is, deep breathing and coughing can cause discomfort. You may be given a breathing apparatus (Inspirex) and you should take 10 deep breaths using this every hour. Place the mouth piece in your mouth, inhale, and then exhale. It is important that you cough deeply and not just clear your throat. Deep breathing and coughing can help you clear secretions that may have settled in your lungs during the procedure. These secretions can cause infections like pneumonia. Expectations After Your ProcedureAfter the procedure you will be watched closely by the nurses. Your vital signs will be checked frequently even at night. Remember, recovery from any procedure is made easier by your efforts to get well. After your return home, your body will still be healing. Keep in mind it make take some time before you are back to your old self again or better. Before your discharge you will receive instructions about follow-up appointments. University Hospital discharge time is 11:00 a.m. for patients who have been admitted to the hospital. Questions and ConcernsWe hope this information is helpful to you. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask your nurse or doctor. Important Telephone Numbers
Additional information about today's health issues can be found at the Health Information Center located in the SUNY Upstate Medical University Library. Members of the public are welcome to visit or call. |
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