Pre-Post Operative Care

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Preparing You for Surgery and Supporting Your Recovery Journey

Pre-Operative Care

All surgery requires careful preparation.

You will be contacted by St. Anthony’s pre-admission nurses after you and your surgeon have decided that surgery is necessary to schedule the date for your procedure.
The nurse will verify pre-operative instructions and tell you what time you need to arrive at the Surgery Center on the day procedure.
A nurse will admit you and prepare you for surgery.

You will be asked to sign necessary forms and verify information.
A parent or guardian must sign for a minor (under 18).
You will meet with your physician and anesthetist prior to surgery.
Nurses will check your vital signs and patient identifiers (name, date of birth, your consent for surgery, surgery site verification and procedure) several times before the procedure begins.
Your friends and family members may wait in the lobby while you are in surgery.
Patient tracking monitors, in the lobby of the Surgery Center, will keep family members informed about your status as you move from pre-op to the operating room, to post-anesthesia recovery.
Pagers are given to family members so that they can visit our Coffee Shop or Cafeteria in the main hospital building and never be out of touch with the Surgery Center.
If your loved one's surgery is scheduled over an hour, our friendly surgical RN's will call you to give you updates to keep you continually informed.

Post-Operative Care

After surgery, you will be transferred to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, admitted to your hospital room, or transferred to the Same Day Surgery unit to be prepared for discharge. Your length of stay will depend on the type of surgery and your individual recovery. When you have met the recovery guidelines specified by your doctor, you will be discharged. The Surgery process at St. Anthony has been greatly enhanced to provide expert, caring staff and state-of-the-art technology in modern, convenient facilities.

For more information on St. Anthony’s wide range of surgical services, please call 712-794-5206.