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If you and your physician decide together that surgery is the best option for you, then here are some useful things to keep in mind:
Our office staff will work with you to find the most mutually convenient time to schedule your surgery. This may be done either when you are in the office or perhaps over the phone.
You will need to have preoperative medical clearance. This is a process whereby your personal physician (generally an internist, cardiologist, or other primary care physician) checks some blood and urine tests, an electrocardiogram, and a chest x-ray to see whether you have any medical conditions that might cause problems during or after your operation. For example, your blood pressure should be well-controlled, as should your blood sugar. Some patients may require additional testing before medical clearance is granted. For example, those with a history of heart disease may require a echocardiogram or a stress test in addition to the standard electrocardiogram.
In general, patients are asked to hold on to their own imaging studies after each office visit. That way, the physician’s office cannot ever lose your films. It is important, however, to bring the necessary films to surgery. Some imaging studies are so crucial that the surgery cannot be performed without them. Generally, your physician will let you know if that is the case ahead of time.
The evening before your surgery, the hospital will notify you of your time of surgery, and what time you should arrive at the hospital. Other general instructions will include having nothing to eat after midnight the evening before surgery. Notify your physician if you do not receive instructions by 8 or 9 PM the evening prior to your surgery.
It is normal to be a bit nervous prior to your surgery. Perhaps the best thing to remember is that you are under the care of an enormous family of health care workers, from physicians, to nurses, to therapists, to staff members, all of whom strive to make your stay with us as pleasant as possible.
