The information contained here and your visit with your surgeon and the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic will help you get ready for surgery and understand what will happen and why. We are committed to working with you for a safe surgical experience.
UWMC has interpreters to assist you, if needed, before and after surgery. Please tell the patient care coordinator or Pre-Anesthesia Clinic nurse if you would like an interpreter. Or, call Interpreter Services at 206-598-4425 to ask for an interpreter.
When you come to your surgeon's clinic and the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic, be sure to bring these 2 things with you:
Before your visit to the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic, you will meet with your surgeon in a UWMC specialty clinic. At this meeting, your surgeon and other care providers will discuss your medical history and home medicines, complete a physical exam, talk with you about the surgery, and have you sign a consent form.
We need information about your health before your surgery. At your pre-anesthesia visit, you will be asked to complete a health survey and a home medicine list.
When you come to the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic, be sure to bring:
If you need help getting test results from your doctor or clinic, please ask us and we can help you.
Having this information is important. It will help your doctors know about things that may affect your care and recovery.
Nurses trained in anesthesia assessment will review your health survey, medical history, and home medicine list. If needed, blood tests, an EKG, and a chest X-ray will be done. Depending on your type of surgery, other tests may also be needed.
You will not meet your anesthesia team at this visit, but will meet them the day of your surgery.
If you have diabetes and take insulin or an oral diabetes medicine: Be sure to get instructions from the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic about how to adjust your dose of these medicines the day before and morning of your surgery.
It is important to talk with your surgeon and Pre-Anesthesia Clinic staff about the medicines you are taking. You may need to stop taking some of them for a day or more before your surgery. Some medicines you may need to stop taking are:
A nurse will tell you which of your medicines you can take the morning of surgery.
When you come to your surgeon's clinic and the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic, be sure to bring these 2 things with you:
A team of anesthesia providers will be with you during your surgery to keep you comfortable and manage your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and any medical issues that might arise.
The 3 main types of anesthesia that may be discussed at your pre-surgery visit are:
Please tell your nurse if you would like to discuss special concerns with an anesthesiologist during your visit.
A staff member from the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic will call you the afternoon before your surgery day to verify your arrival location, tell you when to arrive, and review your pre-surgery instructions. If your surgery is on a Monday, this call will be on the Friday afternoon before.
Please make sure we have the correct phone number where you can receive this pre-surgery phone call. If you do not receive this call by 5 p.m., call the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic at 206-598-6334.
Unless you have instructions from your doctor about bowel cleansing, eat normally and take your usual medicines the day and evening before surgery.
It is very important to follow these guidelines about not eating or drinking before surgery. These guidelines reduce your chance of vomiting and inhaling stomach contents into your lungs. For your safety, if you forget and/or do not follow these fasting guidelines, your surgery may need to be rescheduled for another day.
Some patients may drink liquids after midnight the night before surgery. Other patients, based on their medical condition and type of surgery, will not be able to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. The Pre-Anesthesia nursing staff will explain the guidelines that you need to follow.
For ALL patients:
For patients who are told NOT to drink liquids after midnight:
For Your Safety
It is important to follow the guidelines about fasting before your surgery. These guidelines are to reduce the chance of vomiting and inhaling stomach contents into your lungs.
If you do not follow these guidelines, your surgery may need to be rescheduled for another day.
For patients who are told they MAY drink liquids after midnight:
Use a special soap called Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) to shower or bathe, both the night before and the morning of surgery. You can buy CHG at most large drugstores. It comes as a 2% and a 4% solution. Either one is OK. A common brand is Hibiclens, but any brand is OK. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for using it.
Parking at the hospital is validated for a reduced rate. Refer to the map on page 16 for directions to parking areas. For more information on:
If you are going home on the same day you have surgery, you must arrange for a responsible adult to take you home. Your ride must be ready within 30 minutes of your discharge. Your surgery may be cancelled if you arrive without a responsible adult to drive you home, get you settled, and make sure you are safe and comfortable. You cannot take a taxi or bus home by yourself.
On the day of your surgery, report to the location checked on page 2 of this booklet.
Most times, we ask you to come in 1½ hours before your surgery. This gives us time to prepare you for your surgery. During this time, you will:
Bring a book or a project to help pass the time. We will update you about any changes that might affect your surgery start time.
Note: Female patients may receive information about urine pregnancy testing before surgery. Tell your nurse or an anesthesia staff person if you would like to be tested.
The surgery "prep" area has many patients who are being prepared for surgery. In a private space, we will ask you to remove your clothes, including undergarments. You will put on a hospital gown. You will need to remove glasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids. In some cases, you will also be asked to remove dentures. Please bring cases to store these items, if you have them.
You will meet the nurses and anesthesia team who will care for you during your surgery. You will be able to ask them any questions you have about your care.
To reduce your risk of infection, you will be covered with a heating blanket to warm your body while you wait to go into the operating room. Ask for a heating blanket if you do not receive one.
If you must bring a child age 17 or under with you to the hospital, please bring a responsible adult to be with them at all times in the waiting room.
An adult support person is welcome to be with you during your "prep" time. They may be asked to step out if the need arises. Your support person may wait in the waiting room when you are transferred to surgery.
Your support person may want to bring something to read while they wait. If they bring a laptop computer, they may access the Internet through DSL connections in waiting areas.
We cannot provide child care. If you must bring a child age 17 or under to the hospital, please bring an adult to be with them at all times in the waiting room and other areas of the hospital.
We are committed to making sure you receive high-quality and safe care. While you are here, you or your family will be asked such questions as:
Do not be alarmed by these questions. We know who you are. We routinely ask some or all of these questions over and over again for your own safety.
Your doctor will check your medical record and talk with you or a family member to confirm your surgery or procedure site. Most times when you have surgery or a procedure, your doctor will mark the site in pen to help ensure your safety.
When your site does need to be marked, your surgeon will mark the site with his or her initials. Special care is taken if you are having surgery or a procedure on the right or left side of your body. Please do not mark yourself or write anything on your body.
If your site does not need to be marked, you will be asked to confirm what surgery or procedure you are having.
After a numbing solution is applied to your skin, an IV will be placed in a vein in your arm or in the back of your hand. Medicine and fluids can be given to you quickly and easily through the IV, and it will be in place for a while after surgery. Sometimes, you will be given medicine through this IV to help you relax, or even sleep, before going into the operating room.
The recovery room is sometimes called the PACU, which stands for "Post-Anesthesia Care Unit." Most patients are in the recovery room for 1 to 2 hours after their surgery.
In most cases, your loved ones will be able to visit you in the PACU, if you wish. This will be after you have received the care you need to ensure your safety as you wake up from anesthesia and have your pain treated, if needed. There is limited space in the PACU area, so you may have only 1 adult visitor at a time.
A nurse will check your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure often. Your nurse will help you with any nausea or pain you may feel. It is important that you are comfortable.
Be sure to ask your nurse for pain medicine before your pain gets too intense. Your nurse will ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain.
You may receive pain relief by:
If you are staying overnight in the hospital, you may also receive pain relief by:
Ask your surgeon how your activity might be limited after surgery. Think carefully about what help you will need, and arrange for this help before your surgery.
If you go home the day of surgery, the person who takes you home must be able to get you into your home, stay with you, and make sure you are comfortable. You can expect to have some pain and possibly some nausea after surgery. You may also be sleepy for the rest of the day. For your safety, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that a responsible adult stay with you for at least 24 hours after surgery.
For 24 hours after anesthesia, DO NOT:
Ask your surgeon how your activity might be limited after surgery and how long these limits will last. Think carefully about what help you will need and arrange for this help before your surgery. Work out things like how you will get to the bathroom, go up and down stairs, prepare your meals, and care for yourself.
Before you leave the hospital, you will receive information about how to care for yourself at home. A follow-up appointment will be made for you, if you do not have one scheduled already.