- Can my family be with me after surgery?
- How long will I stay after my surgery?
- What will happen if I am not well enough to go home?
- May I drive home?
- What if I am not feeling well at home?
- What can I eat when I get home?
- Should I continue my medication?
- How will my pain be managed?
Can my family be with me after surgery?
After surgery, some patients will go to a recovery room or directly back to their rooms. We plan to unite you with your family almost immediately after the surgery, if you so choose. Some patients prefer to be alone for a while and that will be honored. Special arrangements are made for children having surgery. Please do not bring siblings to the Surgery Center, if possible.
How long will I stay after my surgery?
There is no prescribed time to stay with us after surgery. You will be permitted to go home as soon as we feel it is safe to discharge you. (This may be as short as 10 minutes.) Feel reassured that you will be permitted to stay as long as necessary.
What will happen if I am not well enough to go home?
Admissions to a hospital from a day surgery center are very rare. Most admissions are for very minor reasons such as nausea or pain control. If there is a medical reason to keep you overnight, you will be transported to the hospital that both you and your surgeon requests.
Any patient receiving anesthesia should not drive until the next day. A patient receiving sedation for a procedure needs a ride home. The few patients who have procedures performed under local anesthesia alone could possibly drive home.
We would strongly recommend that all patients have a ride home and will be received by a responsible adult when they arrive home. Patients will not be allowed to drive, walk or take public transportation after sedation or anesthesia. Please make the appropriate arrangements.
What if I am not feeling well at home?
If this seems to be serious, please call 911 immediately or go to the nearest ER otherwise call your surgeon.
What can I eat when I get home?
Your surgeon may have specific recommendations for your postoperative diet. We generally suggest that you eat lightly after surgery. We strongly encourage you to drink plenty of fluids.
Should I continue my medication?
Most patients should continue their usual medications on arriving home. Patients who have diabetes and those patients on blood thinners may require some fine-tuning of their medications. This should be clarified with you before you leave the Center. If you have any doubts please first call your surgeon and then the Surgery Center.
The management of your pain is of great importance to us. We will be assessing your level of pain from the time of admission until you receive our postoperative call at home. We need to inform and prepare you for each step of the process. This education will begin with our first contact. You will be repeatedly asked to rate your pain from a numerical scale called the Visual Analog Pain Scale, or for children, the Faces Pain Scale (see below). Using the results of our communication we will alter the therapy as needed in order to assure your comfort.
The management of your pain will be taken very seriously. We will often use a combination of different modalities to help make you comfortable, choosing from oral medications, intravenous medications, nerve blocks, injection of local anesthetic during the surgery, etc. and prior to the surgery, the management of your pain should be discussed with both your anesthesiologist and surgeon. Please feel free to bring up any concerns or fears you may have. Remember that information on pain management gives you the appropriate expectations and hence a smoother, more comfortable recovery.